Dodgers' Kershaw says he'll retire after season

19.09.2025, 02:23 espn.com

LOS ANGELES -- Three-time Cy Young Award winner and 11-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw, who has spent all 18 seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will retire at the end of this season.

The Dodgers announced Kershaw's decision Thursday, adding that Friday will mark the final regular-season home start of his career. Kershaw is scheduled to hold a news conference later Thursday.

"On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for his profound charitable endeavors," Dodgers owner Mark Walter said in a statement. "His is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame."

Kershaw also was the 2014 National League MVP in a career that will undoubtedly finish in the Hall of Fame. His 222 victories are second only to Don Sutton in franchise history. In July, he became the 20th pitcher in baseball history to accumulate 3,000 career strikeouts, and his 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live ball era since 1920.

He would be eligible for Cooperstown in 2031.

Kershaw's 18 seasons with the Dodgers -- winning World Series championships in 2020 and 2024 -- are tied with Bill Russell and Hall of Famer Zack Wheat for most in franchise history.

"Obviously he's been the best of our generation, my generation," Mets pitcher Clay Holmes told reporters Thursday. "Just watching him pitch, you know you're playing against a Hall of Famer. ... I'm glad he gets the kind of sendoff he deserves. He's been one of the best for a long time."

What Clayton Kershaw, who will be eligible for Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2031, has accomplished over his 18 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers:

• 20th pitcher all-time to reach 3,000 career strikeouts• One of 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young Award at least three times• Only pitcher to lead MLB in ERA in four straight seasons (2011-14)• 2nd-lowest career ERA (2.54) in live-ball era among pitchers with 1,500+ innings pitched, trailing Hoyt Wilhelm (2.52)• His .698 career win percentage (222-96) is highest all-time among pitchers with 300 or more starts• 11-time All-Star• 2014 National League MVP• Two-time World Series champ ('20, '24)

Now 37, Kershaw rejoined the Dodgers' rotation in mid-May following offseason knee and toe surgeries, and he helped to stabilize a group that had once again been ravaged by injury. In August, as the rotation began to round into form, Kershaw elevated to another level, winning all five of his starts while posting a 1.88 ERA.

All told, he is 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 20 starts this season, despite throwing the slowest fastball of his career.

"There's very few guys in the major leagues that it seems like no matter what stuff they have, they can just get dudes out at a high level," Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff told reporters Thursday. "... For guys like that who are Hall of Famers, it's like, 'How do they do it?' You know what I mean? It's a super tough thing to do year in and year out.

"Gosh, for 10-12 years he was the best in the game. To do it and be consistent and do it for that long is extremely hard."

Kershaw's .698 career winning percentage tops all pitchers with at least 200 victories since 1900.

After Kershaw starts against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, his role will be unclear. The Dodgers will head into the postseason with six capable starters, making it highly unlikely that Kershaw makes another start.

"I feel that there's a place for him on our postseason roster," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told ESPN earlier this week.

"I don't know what role, but I think that the bottom line is, I trust him. And so, for me, the postseason is about players you trust."

In 2024, Kershaw was forced to end his season in August because of a toe injury that limited him to seven starts and just 30 innings with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 ERA, all career lows.

He missed the entire postseason, including the Dodgers' World Series win over the New York Yankees. That spurred him to return this year for what many had speculated would be his final season.

Frequently tabbed as one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Kershaw built his reputation with a pitching style that relies on deception, movement and velocity changes. He has said he modeled his mechanics after his favorite childhood pitcher, Roger Clemens.

As his velocity diminished in recent years, he found ways to compensate by adapting his approach.

Kershaw is one of the better fielding pitchers and before the National League added a designated hitter, he was known as a decent hitter, too.

He made his big league debut on May 25, 2008.

Kershaw won't be bored away from the field. He and his wife, Ellen, have four children, with a fifth on the way. His oldest son, Charley, has a locker in the Dodgers' clubhouse next to his father. The couple has done humanitarian work in Africa and Los Angeles.

He spends the offseason in his native Dallas, where he and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford were teammates on their high school football team.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.