Kershaw’s swing and miss rate in the postseason

The 2020 season is over. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series title for the first time since 1988. Clayton Kershaw, born in 1988, a three-time Cy Young award winner, finally got the ring.

Kershaw made his postseason debut on October 10, 2008 and finally he and the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series title in the 10th postseason.

In the 2008 postseason, Kershaw only generated one swing and miss. It was a four-seamer that struck out former MVP Jimmy Rollins. Kershaw had only one strikeout in the 2008 postseason.

In the 2009 postseason, Kershaw’s swing and miss rate was 6.9% and he threw 10 strikeouts in the playoffs. Kershaw threw 236 innings in the 2013 regular season and won his second Cy Young award. The Dodgers definitely wanted him to duplicate his regular season performance in the playoffs. Kershaw did collect his first postseason win in the 2013 NLDS, but took 2 losses in the NLCS. In the 2013 postseason, his swing and miss rate was 14% and he threw 28 strikeouts.

Kershaw’s swing and miss rate in the 2014 postseason was 16%, but it was a really tough postseason for the 2014 MVP winner. He took two losses in the NLDS.

Kershaw threw 301 strikeouts in the 2015 regular season. He pitched two games in the NLDS and he threw 19 strikeouts. In this postseason, his swing and miss rate was 13%.

Due to Mild disc herniation, Kershaw only tossed 149 innings in the 2016 season. The Dodgers lost to the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, falling short again in the playoffs. In this postseason, Kershaw’s swing and miss rate was 13.4%. 

The Dodgers finally went back to the World Series in 2017. Kershaw did earn his first World Series win. He threw 33 strikeouts in 33 innings this postseason. However, his swing and miss rate was only 9.1% this postseason. We all know “that game” in the World Series. “That game” really made some differences on Kershaw’s swing and miss rate in the postseason.

Kershaw threw 30 innings in the 2018 postseason. His swing and miss rate was 11.3% and Kershaw struck out 26 batters. But he took two losses in the World Series.

The 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals defeated the Dodgers in the 2019 NLDS. Kershaw gave up two home runs in game 5. In this series, Kershaw’s swing and miss rate was 15.2%, but zero swing and miss from his curveball.

Kershaw will not forget this postseason. He threw 37 strikeouts in 30.2 innings and earned two wins in the Fall Classic. His swing and miss rate reached 18.1% this postseason and 18.4% swing and miss in the World Series.

The Dodgers finally won the first World Series title in 32 years. Another 3-time Cy Young winner got his ring. Clayton Kershaw surpassed Justin Verlander for the most strikeouts in postseason history. 207 strikeouts, how incredible it is. From 2013 to 2020, we see that only in 2017, Kershaw’s swing and miss rate was below 10%. “That game in the 2017 World Series” really gave us something to discuss. Meanwhile, Kershaw generated a lot of swings and misses in this postseason and helped the Dodgers win the trophy.