Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) acknowledges the crowd after striking out Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra (41) for his 3000th career strike at Dodger Stadium on July 2. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Absolutely Roasted Lance Lynn After He Joined LA

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 6:30 PM ET

As his status evolved from one of the game's elite pitchers to a no-doubt Hall of Famer, so did Clayton Kershaw's beard. Once patchy and brown, the beard became fuller and grayer — a phenomenon men in their 30s know is hardly unique to the Dodgers pitcher.

When you can count your career accomplishments in terms of Cy Young Awards, who's counting gray hairs?

Kershaw, apparently.

Lance Lynn, who announced his retirement earlier this year, was traded to Los Angeles at the July 2023 deadline. He was 36 at the time; Kershaw was 35. When the two became teammates after more than a decade opposing each other at the game's highest level, Kershaw had fun introducing himself Lynn.

"First thing he told me was he's happy I was there because now I had the most grays on the team," Lynn said in a new interview with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.

"First thing he told me was he's happy I was there because now I had the most grays on the team."

Clayton Kershaw roasted Lance Lynn when he joined the @Dodgers

Power Alley with @Mike_Ferrin & @JimDuquetteGM #Dodgers | #LetsGoDodgers
https://t.co/iXax8hx4iO pic.twitter.com/f8cphAkfFL
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 3, 2025

Kershaw and Lynn were teammates for less than three months — a fraction of their combined 31 MLB seasons. It was enough for Kershaw to leave a lasting impression.

"He came into the league so young, and dominated from the get-go all the way through, and that's what Hall of Famers do, right?" Lynn said of Kershaw. "I had a very good major league career and he's a Hall of Famer. That's a totally different level."

Over a 13‑season career from 2011-24, Lynn compiled a 143-99 record with a 3.74 ERA across 364 games (340 starts). He logged 2,006.1 innings while punching out 2,015 batters, posting a 1.28 WHIP and allowing 1,856 hits versus 704 walks. He also threw four complete games and two shutouts.

A two‑time All‑Star (2012, 2021) who won a World Series as a rookie in 2011, Lynn led the AL in innings in 2020, tallied four seasons of at least 15 wins (2012–14, 2019), three 200‑inning campaigns (2013, 2014, 2019), and reached 200 strikeouts once (2019). He also holds the modern‑era record for most innings pitched without ever balking (2,006.1 innings).

Kershaw has a few more records under his belt than Lynn. His .695 career winning percentage is the highest by any pitcher with more than 1,500 innings thrown since 1900. His 155 ERA+ is third in American or National League history, and behind only Jacob deGrom (156) among starters.

Kershaw was selected to his 12th All-Star Game on Tuesday after going 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his first 10 starts of 2025. As a "legacy pick" by commissioner Rob Manfred, he will probably be the National League clubhouse leader in grays.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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