Clayton Kershaw is a baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). He has been with the Dodgers for his entire 15-year career since 2008. In 2014, he pitched a no-hitter, becoming the 22nd Dodger to do so.
He’s a really good left-handed starting pitcher and has won many awards, including three National League Cy Young Awards, nine All-Star selections, and the 2014 NL Most Valuable Player. He helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 2020.
Kershaw is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball history. He has the lowest career earned run average (ERA) and walks plus hits per inning pitched rate (WHIP) among starters in the live-ball era with a minimum of 1,000 innings pitched. He has also allowed the third-lowest hits per nine innings pitched average in MLB history.
Kershaw was drafted by the Dodgers in 2006 and joined the majors when he was only 20 years old. He won the pitching Triple Crown and the NL Cy Young Award in 2011 and signed a big contract extension with the Dodgers in 2013.
Off the field, Kershaw does volunteer work with his wife Ellen, and they started “Kershaw’s Challenge” to help an orphanage in Zambia. He’s won awards for his efforts to help others, including the Roberto Clemente Award and the Branch Rickey Award.
Clayton Kershaw Biography
Clayton Kershaw is a left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on March 19, 1988, in Dallas, Texas, and made his debut with the Dodgers in 2008 at just 20 years old. Some people compare him to Sandy Koufax, another famous Dodger pitcher.
Kershaw is considered one of the best pitchers in MLB history, with many awards and accomplishments to his name, including nine All-Star selections, three Cy Young Awards, and a World Series championship.
His career statistics are impressive, with a low earned run average and hits allowed per inning pitched rate. Off the field, Kershaw is known for his humanitarian work, including the creation of “Kershaw’s Challenge” to help build an orphanage in Zambia. ((en.wikipedia.org))
Family Background | Parents
Clayton Kershaw was born in Dallas, Texas, and enjoyed playing sports from a young age, including Little League Baseball. His parents split up when he was 10, and he was raised by his mother.
Kershaw is a baseball player from Highland Park, Texas who grew up with NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford. One of Kershaw’s favorite players growing up was Will Clark, so he wears the number 22 to honor him.
Kershaw’s great-uncle was Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto. Kershaw is married to Ellen Melson, and they have four children. He is a religious person and has shared his faith story in a video. Kershaw has a nickname, “Kersh,” and made a cameo appearance in an episode of New Girl.
Education | Early Career
Kershaw was a talented athlete in high school and played baseball and football. He was so good at baseball that he was named “High School Baseball Player of the Year” by USA Today and was chosen as the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2006.
The Los Angeles Dodgers picked him in the 2006 MLB draft as the seventh overall pick. Even though he had been offered a scholarship to attend Texas A&M University, Kershaw decided to join the Dodgers for a bonus of $2.3 million, the largest given to any Dodgers draft pick at that time.
Pitching Style
Clayton Kershaw’s pitching style relies on deception, movement, and changes of velocity. He keeps the ball hidden so that it’s hard for the batter to see it and has a consistent overhand delivery on all his pitches.
He also consistently aims low on the strike zone below the catcher’s knees, causing batters to chase the ball even when it’s going to hit the dirt.
Kershaw’s favorite pitcher growing up was Roger Clemens, and he modeled his pitching mechanics after him. His repertoire includes a fastball that can reach up to 95 miles per hour, a slider, a curveball, and a rarely used changeup. He’s also experimenting with a cutter.
Kershaw is known for having one of the best pickoff moves to first base and is considered one of the best fielding pitchers in the game. He has good control and location on his pitches, even though the spin rate on his curveball is only slightly above league average.
Wife | Children
Clayton Kershaw is married to Ellen Melson, whom he met in high school when they were both 16 years old. They got married on December 4, 2010. Ellen is a philanthropist and has been a big supporter of her husband’s charity work, along with their children.
Preparation
Kershaw is known for being a perfectionist and preparing meticulously for his games. He has a specific routine during his bullpen sessions, which involves throwing different types of pitches to different locations.
He starts with fastballs down the middle, then moves to different parts of the plate with different pitches like changeups, curveballs, and sliders. He repeats this process from both the windup and stretch positions.
Career
Clayton Kershaw was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers as the seventh overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft. He declined a college scholarship offer to sign with the Dodgers for a bonus of $2.3 million. Kershaw spent two seasons in the minor leagues before being called up to the Dodgers in 2008.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2008–present)
Kershaw made his major league debut on May 25, 2008, becoming the youngest player in MLB at the time. Since then, he has spent his entire career with the Dodgers.
Kershaw has been named to the All-Star team nine times and has won three Cy Young Awards and a National League MVP Award. He helped lead the Dodgers to their first World Series championship in 32 years in 2020.
2008–2010 Seasons: Early Career
In his first few seasons, Kershaw showed potential, but struggled with consistency. He finished the 2009 season with a 2.79 earned run average (ERA) and 185 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched. In 2010, Kershaw improved his ERA to 2.91 and led the National League in strikeouts with 212.
2011 Season: 1st Cy Young Award
Kershaw had a breakout season in 2011, winning his first Cy Young Award. He led the National League in ERA (2.28), strikeouts (248), and WHIP (0.98). Kershaw was also named to the All-Star team and finished the season with a 21-5 record.
2012 Season: Cy Young Runner-Up
In 2012, Kershaw had another strong season, finishing with a 14-9 record, a 2.53 ERA, and 229 strikeouts. He finished second in the Cy Young Award voting behind R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets.
2013 Season: 2nd Cy Young Award
Kershaw won his second Cy Young Award in 2013, finishing the season with a 16-9 record, a 1.83 ERA, and 232 strikeouts. He led the National League in ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP (0.92).
2014 Season: 3rd Cy Young Award | National League MVP
In 2014, Kershaw won his third Cy Young Award and also became the first pitcher to win the National League MVP Award since Bob Gibson in 1968. He finished the season with a 21-3 record, a 1.77 ERA, and 239 strikeouts.
2015 Season: 300-Strikeout Season
Kershaw had another impressive season in 2015, becoming the first pitcher in 13 years to record 300 strikeouts in a season. He finished the season with a 16-7 record, a 2.13 ERA, and 301 strikeouts. Kershaw also won his fourth consecutive National League ERA title.
2016 Season: Injury-Plagued Year
Kershaw struggled with injuries in 2016, missing 10 weeks with a herniated disk in his back. Despite the injury, he still finished the season with a 12-4 record, a 1.69 ERA, and 172 strikeouts.
2017 Season: First World Series Appearance
Kershaw helped lead the Dodgers to their first World Series appearance since 1988 in 2017. He finished the regular season with an 18-4 record, a 2.31 ERA, and 202 strikeouts.
2018 Season
In the 2018 season, Kershaw helped the Dodgers reach their second consecutive World Series appearance, but they lost to the Boston Red Sox in five games.
The following year, Kershaw was once again plagued by injuries, missing significant time due to shoulder inflammation and back issues.
Despite this, he posted a 16-5 record with a 3.03 ERA and 189 strikeouts. However, the Dodgers were eliminated in the National League Division Series by the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals.
2020 Season
In the shortened 2020 season, Kershaw played a pivotal role in leading the Dodgers to their first World Series championship in 32 years. He went 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA and 62 strikeouts and won two games in the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
2021 Season
The 2021 season saw Kershaw once again dealing with injuries, as he missed significant time with elbow inflammation and later, a forearm injury. Despite this, he managed to post a 10-6 record with a 3.22 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched.
2022 Season
In the 2022 season, Kershaw set the franchise strikeout record, surpassing Hall of Famer Don Drysdale’s previous mark of 2,486 strikeouts. He achieved the feat on September 10, 2022, against the San Francisco Giants. As of this writing, Kershaw is still active in the 2023 season and continues to pitch for the Dodgers.
Humanitarian Work
Clayton Kershaw, a baseball player, visited Zambia in 2011 with his wife on a Christian mission and decided to build an orphanage called “Hope’s Home” for children affected by HIV. He pledged to donate $100 for every strikeout he recorded during the 2011 season and exceeded his goal of raising $70,000.
In 2012, he continued the fundraiser and donated 70% of the proceeds to Arise Africa. Kershaw also supports other programs, such as Habitat for Humanity and the Peacock Foundation.
He hosts a charity ping-pong tournament at Dodger Stadium called “Ping Pong 4 Purpose.” Kershaw and his wife co-authored a book about their Christian faith and humanitarian efforts called “Arise: Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field, You Find Yourself.”
Net Worth
Clayton Kershaw is a baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has won several Cy Young Awards. ((celebritynetworth.com)) His net worth as of 2022 is estimated to be $110 million, (celebritynetworth.com)) and he has a salary of $33 million. ((firstsportz.com))
He signed a two-year contract worth $19 million in 2012 and a seven-year extension worth $215 million in 2013. ((celebritynetworth.com)) In 2018, he signed a new three-year extension with the Dodgers worth $93 million. ((celebritynetworth.com))
Personal Life
Clayton Kershaw is a professional baseball player from Dallas, Texas. He was born on March 19, 1988, and is American with African-American ethnicity. He is 6’3″ tall and weighs 210 lbs. He is a Pisces. ((britannica.com))
Is Clayton Kershaw Married?
Clayton Kershaw is married to his high school sweetheart, Ellen Melson, ((playersaga.com)) and they have three children: Charlie Clayton Kershaw, Copper Elis Kershaw, and Cali Ann Kershaw. ((sportskeeda.com))
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