Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman speaks in a press conference before game one against the New York Yankees in the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Andrew Friedman Defends Clayton Kershaw From 'Off Base' Narrative

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw made his final start at Dodger Stadium on Friday, capping off a historic career.

Over his 18 seasons in the majors, Kershaw racked up an MVP award, 11 All-Star appearances, three Cy Young Awards, and a Triple Crown, along with five ERA titles.

The southpaw has been the Dodgers ace for years, through the good and bad times — mainly bad.

No matter what state the franchise was in, Kershaw delivered a stellar season when healthy, though his playoff performances have always been the subject of scrutiny.

Through 39 playoff appearances, Kershaw has a ERA of 4.49 with a 3.81 FIP. These numbers are far from his regular-season production, where he boasts a 2.54 ERA for his career.

While the numbers paint Kershaw as a pitcher who shrinks in the playoffs, some outlier outings are inflating his figures.

President of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, believes that the narrative missed important context.

“I think that narrative is so off base. You look at Kersh and the great starts he’s had in October, how much he’s come back on short rest, how much he got left out longer than he should have because bullpens weren’t as good as what people felt like he would do, and left out there longer than you should have," Friedman said, according to The Atheltic's Fabian Ardaya.

“You never heard one peep about it from him. I think so much of that has clouded the overall body of work that, when we had big games and he was rested, there was nobody we’d rather have on the mound than Kershaw.”

Friedman was not the only Dodgers decision-maker to defend Kershaw. Manager Dave Roberts agrees there is more to the story regarding the pitcher's performances in October.

“Especially when you look back at the circumstances of some of the things that happened, whether it’s the 240 innings or pitching on very short rest multiple times in a postseason and never running from that, that responsibility as the ace," Roberts said.

"With that, you’ve got to take on a lot of scrutiny or potential failures. Everything wasn’t optimal for him.”

While fans and experts will likely debate Kershaw's true greatness regularly, with critics pointing to his playoff performances, Kershaw will be considered one of the best pitchers in baseball history.