We now have the complete career resume when it comes to the all-time great career of Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw. He ends his 18-season career with three World Series rings after the Dodgers staged an all-time great comeback in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. Kershaw was in the bullpen but didn’t see action, other than the celebrating, of course.
Kershaw did plenty throughout his career to merit three rings, of course.
He won three Cy Youngs and an MVP. He made the All-Star team 11 times. He won five ERA titles. His numbers are staggering. He went 223-96 (his .699 winning percentage is the best ever in MLB post-integration) with a 2.53 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3,052 strikeouts against fewer than 700 unintentional walks in 2,855 ⅓ innings.
I’ve previously noted that he could be ranked in the top 20 all-time pitchers and there’s an argument that he’s in the top five among left-handers ever.
And now, he finishes with back-to-back World Series championships.
“I can’t imagine a better way to go out,” he said on the broadcast after the Game 7 victory.
In this World Series, Kershaw faced one batter. That’s it. Just the one. You could still make an argument they don’t win the series without him, however, because he entered in the 12th inning of Game 3 with the bases loaded. He induced a groundout to strand three runners and keep the game alive for the Dodgers.
Now, any all-time great would probably prefer to go out while having two huge starts in the World Series or something like that, but Kershaw has been on fumes for a while, ravaged by a series of injuries including chronic back problems. He’s known this was the end for a while.
It’s why he was a special selection for the All-Star Game — because he knew this was it.
Speaking of, he got two outs in that Midsummer Classic without allowing a baserunner, even recording a strikeout. In the regular season this year, he was productive and helped the Dodgers fight through rotation issues for months. He was 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA in 112 ⅔ innings at age 37. He was also coming off foot and knee surgeries that he had last offseason.
All in all, Kershaw’s decision to rehab for one final season, knowing it was one last shot to finish on a high note, went very well. He had a good season, got a gigantic out in the World Series and ends up with another ring.
“How can I script it any better? That’s the last time I’ll ever get to play baseball,” he said after Game 7.
And now, in five years, he’ll get into the Baseball Hall of Fame with nearly — if not all — 100% of the vote. It certainly does sound like a very nice script for real life.
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