Despite seeing his fastball velocity decline in recent seasons, Clayton Kershaw has not lost much of a step with the Los Angeles Dodgers, particularly due to his willingness to work more offspeed pitches into his outings.
The left-hander of course throws an effective slider and curveball, but he also has attempted to add a changeup to his arsenal. He spent most of Summer Camp last year tinkering with different grips and very rarely tested them out in games.
According to FanGraphs, Kershaw threw his changeup only 0.2% of the time during the 2020 season. That represents the lowest mark of his 12-year career, but he nonetheless remains committed to perfecting the pitch.
Kershaw explained that he has continued to work on his changeup but isn’t sure if he will be comfortable enough to throw it with any regularity this season, via SportsNet LA:
“I work on it every offseason and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m going to learn a changeup when I really need one. Eventually I’m going to really need one. I don’t know if that’s this season, I don’t know if that’s next season. Whenever I actually really need one, I’m going to get in my head that I have to figure it out. I just can’t get around that right now, but it doesn’t mean I’m not working on it. I continue to throw it and continue to play catch with it. Maybe someday it will click.”
It is well-documented that Kershaw has hoped to add a changeup to his pitch mix. “For Clayton, it’s sort of been a work in progress over the last couple years,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last July.
“It’s something that’s certainly a feel pitch, and he’s kind of experimented with different grips over the last couple years. I think he’s got something he likes, so there’s no better time to implement than during intrasquad games. I think each time he gets out there he feels better with it.”
Roberts added that Kershaw feels more comfortable throwing his changeup with each time out on the mound. “He’s going to certainly throw it in games. I don’t know percentage, but I know that each time he picks up a baseball and works on it, he gains more confidence,” Roberts said.
“Just to have something off of his fastball, slider and curveball, I think the changeup certainly plays if he has confidence in it. It’s still going to be a lower percentage pitch but I absolutely expect him to use it.”
Kershaw allowing himself to enjoy World Series win
In addition to working on his changeup, Kershaw revealed that this offseason has been more laid back than usual because he is allowing himself to sit back and relish winning his first World Series championship.
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