Clayton Kershaw added another milestone to his Hall of Fame resume earlier this month when he reached 3,000 career strikeouts in a Los Angeles Dodgers’ win over the Chicago White Sox.
Kershaw became the 20th pitcher in MLB history and just the fourth left-hander to accomplish the feat. He joined Steve Carlton, Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson and John Smoltz as the only pitchers in MLB history to reach 3,000 strikeouts with one team.
Kershaw’s historic achievement has been met with plenty of congratulatory messages, including CC Sabathia and former Dodgers teammates Austin Barnes and Jack Flaherty.
Justin Verlander, who is one of only three active pitchers with at least 3,000 strikeouts, also believes Kershaw should get proper recognition for an achievement that may never be seen again, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
“I think it’s cool man,” says San Francisco Giants 42-year-old starter Justin Verlander, the three-time Cy Young winner, who leads all active pitchers with 3,471 strikeouts and 262 victories. “I think the game should celebrate stuff like that and people like him because it’s clearly going away. There are very few of us left. So any time you get a moment to celebrate something like that, you don’t know if you’ll ever see it again.
Kershaw isn’t one to spend too much time on individual accolades, and Verlander credited him for always trying to improve as a pitcher:
“It’s cool to have moments like these that shake you up a little bit,” Verlander says. “Getting to that number kind of puts things in perspective. But the great ones don’t rest on their laurels. They keep working hard, put their nose to the grindstone, and want to keep being great.
At age-37, Kershaw has continued to reinvent himself on the mound as he owns a 4-1 record with a 3.38 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 50.2 innings across 10 starts this year. His stuff has not been at the same level as his prime, but that has not stopped him from finding success on the mound.
Verlander and Kersh shared some laughs during BP.
(🎥: @NBCSGiants) pic.twitter.com/WJnIxYU2Cb— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) July 11, 2025
Kershaw has been consistently solid for the Dodgers, something they desperately needed from their starting pitchers this season. While his stats have taken a decline from previous years, he continues to show why he’ll go down as one of the best pitchers of all-time.
Clayton Kershaw: All-Star Game selection ‘weird’
Kershaw is heading to the 2025 MLB All-Star Game after making the National League team as a “Legend Pick” by commissioner Rob Manfred.
The extra spot is used to honor a player’s career, similar to how Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera were both selected to participate in the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.
Kershaw admitted he wasn’t aware of the honor, but is looking forward to representing the Dodgers in Atlanta even if it was under different circumstances.
The All-Star Game selection is the 11th of Kershaw’s illustrious career, which set a new Dodgers franchise record.
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