The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Clayton Kershaw’s legendary 18-year career is nearing its conclusion, with the 37-year-old left-hander officially set to retire after the 2025 season. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 National League MVP will make his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. However, what remains uncertain is how Kershaw will be utilized in what could be his final postseason.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the uncertainty but stressed that Kershaw will remain a factor in October.
“I still feel there is a role for him, a spot for him,” Roberts said, adding that the Dodgers wouldn’t be in first place right now without what he’s done this year, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.
After undergoing offseason surgeries on his toe and knee, injuries that sidelined him during Los Angeles’ 2024 championship run, he returned to post a 10-2 record with a 3.53 ERA across 20 starts in 2025. Though his strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 17%, Kershaw joined elite company in July by becoming just the fourth left-hander in MLB history to record 3,000 strikeouts, alongside Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, and CC Sabathia.
Over 18 seasons, Kershaw has compiled a 222-96 record with a 2.54 ERA, 3,039 strikeouts, and more than 2,800 innings pitched. His résumé includes 11 All-Star selections, five ERA titles, a Gold Glove, the 2014 pitching Triple Crown, a Roberto Clemente Award, and two World Series championships (2020, 2024). He has also thrown a no-hitter and signed one of the largest pitcher extensions in MLB history, a seven-year, $215 million deal in 2014.
While Kershaw’s regular-season dominance is undisputed, his postseason legacy is far more complicated. In 39 playoff appearances (32 starts), he owns a 13-13 record with a 4.49 ERA, nearly two runs higher than his career average. He has allowed five or more runs in seven postseason starts, including a six-run outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks that lasted less than an inning. Many often point to these struggles as evidence of underperformance in October.
Yet Kershaw’s playoff career also features brilliance that is frequently overlooked. He has pitched seven postseason starts of at least seven innings with one run or fewer allowed, including eight scoreless frames on two occasions. In Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, he struck out 11 over seven innings of one-run ball against the Houston Astros, and later in that series, tossed four scoreless innings of relief in Game 7 on short rest. He also preserved the Dodgers’ season with seven strong innings against the New York Mets in the 2015 NLDS.
Even in his postseason shortcomings, workload decisions often played a role. In the 2014 NLDS, Kershaw was left in too long in back-to-back outings against the St. Louis Cardinals, both times unraveling late after dominant early innings. Roberts himself has leaned heavily on Kershaw in October, at times stretching him beyond his limits.
Though his postseason usage is undecided, Roberts is firm that he’ll be involved. Kershaw's career legacy is beyond doubt. He is one of only 20 pitchers to reach 3,000 strikeouts, ranks second among active pitchers in wins behind Justin Verlander, and has spent his entire career with one franchise, a rarity in today’s game. His combination of dominance, longevity, and loyalty ensures his place as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
