He’s not even there yet, but the future Hall of Fame etching on Clayton Kershaw’s plaque just keeps growing.
In a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers legend became just the 20th pitcher in MLB history to tally 3,000 career strikeouts. Kershaw is also now the fourth left-handed pitcher to reach the milestone. The 37-year-old Kershaw hit the special number when his 100th and final pitch of the night caught Chicago’s Vinny Capra looking on an 85 mph slider with two outs in the sixth inning.
Kershaw joins the likes of fellow starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the only other active members of the club. However, Kershaw joins Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson as the only ones to reach the milestone while pitching for one franchise.
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Kershaw makes this history just over three years after he passed legend Don Sutton for the most career strikeouts for the Dodgers with 2,696.
According to The Athletic, Verlander, who reached the milestone in 2019 while with the Houston Astros, said Kershaw was “obviously one of the best starters of our generation.”
Strikeout No. 3,000!
Clayton Kershaw becomes the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/mD7tM1POJC
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025
Fewer pitchers have reached 3,000 strikeouts than have won 300 games (24), a testament to Kershaw’s skill. However, his consistency has already well been proven with three Cy Young Awards, 10 All-Star Games, and an MVP throughout his 18 seasons with the Dodgers.
Verlander was not the only rival of Kershaw to talk of the ace’s significance on the mound.
San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey, whose 120 career plate appearances are the most against Kershaw, said Kershaw is bigger than life.
“When he was going good, he was so good at pitching on the inside corner and off the plate and he had enough of an angle to where the pitch that ended up being a ball or two inside appeared to be a strike,” said Posey to the New York Times. “So for me as much as anything I tried to split the plate in half, but he had a way of making it feel bigger than it was.”
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Dodgers fans provided Kershaw with a well-deserved standing ovation that lasted six minutes, prompting Kershaw to acknowledge the sold-out crowd twice. A video tribute played on the scoreboard and his teammates applauded just outside the dugout.
General Manager Dave Roberts said it was apparent to everyone in the league how high the anticipation was for Kershaw to hit No. 3,000.
“To finally get to, I guess ultimately the last box he needs to check for his future Hall of Fame career is that 3,000 strikeout threshold,” Roberts said last week. “We’re all waiting in anticipation.”
Kershaw’s next start remains scheduled for next week in Milwaukee.