Kershaw, Clayton (1988-…), is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball . Kershaw is a left-handed pitcher who has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League (NL) for his entire major league career. In 2011, he achieved the triple crown of pitching, leading the league in wins (21), earned run average (2.28), and strikeouts (248). He also won the Gold Glove that year as the league’s best defensive pitcher.
Kershaw won the Cy Young Award as the league’s top pitcher in 2011, 2013, and 2014. He was named the National League Most Valuable Player in 2014, a rare honor for a pitcher. He also led the league in strikeouts in 2013 (232) and 2015 (301). He had more wins than any other NL pitcher in 2014 (21) and in 2017 (18). Kershaw led the league in earned run average from 2011 through 2014, becoming the first pitcher in major league history to lead his league in earned run average four consecutive years. He also had the lowest earned run average in the NL in 2017 (2.31).
Clayton Edward Kershaw was born on March 19, 1988, in Dallas, Texas. The Dodgers chose him as the 7th selection in the first round of the 2006 draft. He signed with the Dodgers in 2006 and pitched in the minor leagues from 2006 through early 2008. He made his National League debut on May 25, 2008, at the age of 20.
