Dodgers' future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw joins exclusive club

Kershaw is now the 20th player in MLB history to reach the 3,000-strikeout mark. He is the fourth left-handed pitcher to reach that milestone, joining Hall of Fame pitchers Randy Johnson (4,875), Steve Carlton (4,136) and CC Sabathia (3,093) in that exclusive club.

It is only a matter of time until Kershaw joins that trio in Cooperstown. He has put together an impressive resume as he enters the twilight of his career. A 10-time All-Star and two-time World Series winner, Kershaw has won three National League Cy Young awards and was named the 2012 NL MVP.

His performance puts Kershaw among the best pitchers of his generation. He entered Wednesday with a 216-94 record, posting a 2.51 ERA and a 1.012 WHiP over 2781.1 innings. Kershaw led the league in ERA five times and wins and strikeouts thrice. He currently ranks 28th all-time in bWAR (77.1), 44th in ERA, fifth in WHiP and winning percentage (.697) and 87th in wins. 

As great as Kershaw's career numbers have been, he has not been the same pitcher in recent years. Injuries have been a constant problem for Kershaw as he has not had a full season since 2019. However, Kershaw still has that impressive curveball and impressive command of his arsenal. His 3,000th strikeout is another milestone in what has been a Hall of Fame career.