After announcing retirement, Clayton Kershaw's next stop is Cooperstown

Kershaw did not make his 2025 debut until May 17 but quickly showed that he still has something left in the tank. He has been a steady presence in a Dodgers team that has used 17 different starting pitchers this season, posting a 3.53 ERA and a 1.216 WHiP over 102 innings, striking out 71 batters with 30 walks. His 20 starts this season are second on the Dodgers, trailing only Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The 2025 season has been a fitting capstone on Kershaw's career. An 11-time All-Star, Kershaw was a three-time Cy Young award winner and took home the 2014 National League MVP. He took home the pitching Triple Crown in 2011, one of just 22 pitchers to accomplish that feat. He became the 20th player, and fourth left-hander, in major league history to strike out 3000 batters, reaching that plateau on July 3.

For all of Kershaw's accomplishments, there was one that had eluded the Dodgers' ace — a World Series ring. He was able to get that monkey off of his back in 2020 as the Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games. Kershaw was his dominant self during the series, allowing just three runs on seven hits and three walks over 11.2 innings, striking out 14 batters as the Dodgers won both of his starts.

Kershaw has one more stop once he hangs up his cleats for good. Cooperstown will be calling once he is on the ballot, his dominance earning the highest honor in the game. It will be a well-deserved honor for a pitcher who was one of the best of his generation.