3000Kershaw

On July 2, 2025, in the top of the 6th inning, Clayton Kershaw threw a slider, which was his 100th pitch in the game. The batter didn’t swing, but Kershaw located it well. It was a strike. Kershaw struck out the batter to end the inning and it’s the 3000th strikeout in his great career.

 

Eventually, Kershaw joined the elite 3000 strikeout club. It’s certainly a huge milestone for him. Well, I started to watch him pitch in 2008 and I’m so glad to see a great pitcher reach this milestone.

 

As a Dodgers fan, I would like to take this moment to review some “strikeout” moments in Kershaw’s legendary career.

 

First thing first, let’s start with his first strikeout. Kershaw made his MLB debut on May 25, 2008. Kershaw didn’t waste much time. Skip Schumaker was batting first and Kershaw struck him out to record the first strikeout in his career. It was a fastball. Moreover, on September 24, in the top of the 6th inning, Kershaw threw a curveball to Kevin Kouzmanoff to record his 7th strikeout in the game. And that was Kershaw’s 100th strikeout of his career. Kershaw finished the 2008 season with 100 strikeouts.

 

In the first game of the 2011 season, Kershaw started the game against the Giants. In the top of the first inning, Kershaw threw 3 strikeouts. In particular, he struck out Buster Posey, who’s now the President of baseball operations for the Giants, to reach another milestone. Kershaw recorded the 500th strikeout of his career. It was a slider.

2 years later, on April 17, 2013, in the top of the second inning, it was a 3-2 count, Clayton Kershaw threw a fastball to Yonder Alonso. Alonso swung and missed. It was a strikeout, which is the 1000th strikeout of Kershaw’s career.

 

Now, let’s move forward. On June 2, 2017, in the bottom of the second inning, it was a 0-2 count, Kershaw threw a fastball to Jonathan Villar. Villar swung but he missed it. It was a strikeout and it was Kershaw’s 2000th strikeout of his career.

Looking back at those key moments of Kershaw’s career, let’s make a quick summary. First strikeout, fastball, swung and missed. 100th strikeout, curveball, swung and missed. 500th strikeout, slider, swung and missed. 1000th strikeout, fastball, swung and missed. 2000th strikeout, fastball, swung and missed. Well, without a doubt, Kershaw, who’s going to make a speech in Cooperstown, has generated a lot of swings and misses thus far in his career. Nonetheless, interestingly, the 3000th strikeout of his career, the batter didn’t swing. Well, Kershaw already joined the 3000 strikeout club. However, he’s not pitching as he used to. Kershaw’s strikeout rate has dropped. Last season, it was just 18%. This season, the number is even lower. Well, we shall still see him strike out batters in the majors. It just won’t be as often as it used to be. But it’s always wonderful to see this great pitcher on the mound. He’s truly a special pitcher and in the short-term, it will be quite hard to see another pitcher reach 3000 strikeouts.