Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw pitched his final regular-season game on Sept. 19, 2025, after announcing a day earlier that he plans to retire at the end of the season.
For years, retirement rumors surrounded Kershaw, but the Los Angeles Dodgers made it official this time, confirming that the 2025 season will be his last. His announcement comes as another Los Angeles icon, Anže Kopitar of the NHL’s Kings, also retires after a 20-year career. Both athletes leave behind legacies that place them alongside L.A. legends such as Kobe Bryant, Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kershaw spent all 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career with the Dodgers, winning two World Series championships, most recently in 2024. He has long been considered one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history and his record backs that up.
Career Accolades
Kershaw is an 11-time National League All-Star, one of only 25 pitchers to win an NL MVP Award, and one of just 11 pitchers to win both the MVP and Cy Young Award in the same season.
Earlier this season, he recorded his 3,000th career strikeout, joining an elite group of only 20 pitchers in MLB history to reach that mark. Kershaw also holds the Dodgers’ franchise record for strikeouts (3,045), surpassing Don Sutton’s 2,696. In the postseason, he ranks first among Dodgers pitchers with 213 strikeouts, placing him second all-time in MLB playoff history.
He also captured the 2011 pitching Triple Crown and a Gold Glove Award, achievements that further cement his place as one of the most dominant and consistent pitchers of his generation.
What Does Clayton Kershaw Leave Behind for LA Fans?
Kershaw leaves a great legacy that should earn him a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction, and many Dodger fans adore him.
Kershaw made his debut on May 24, 2008, against the St. Louis Cardinals, and has had all Dodger fans behind him ever since. Kershaw has set the example of loyalty to the city of L.A., demonstrating what can be honored with such loyalty. Kershaw is set to pitch in the Bullpen in the 2025 postseason moving forward. Although he won’t likely start in the playoffs, after all the years that Kershaw carried the Dodgers behind his back, the Dodgers will look to do the same for the rest of the playoffs in hopes that they can send Clayton Kershaw to retirement as a 2-time World Series Champion.
Whether Kershaw plans to become a coach or trainer for an MLB team remains a mystery, but the L.A. legend has cemented a legacy that will take a while to surpass, but will never be forgotten.
