Clayton Kershaw Joins Exclusive 3,000 Strikeout Club

Clayton Kershaw Joins 3,000 Strikeout Club

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

July 2, 2025

After White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra struck out looking to end the top of the sixth, longtime Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw became the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to fan 3,000 or more batters in his career Wednesday night, a feat known as joining the 3,000 strikeout club. To achieve such a feat, a player needs to have both longevity in terms of the length of his career and to remain relatively healthy during that longevity. Additionally, the pitcher needs to have the ability to strike batters out. Obviously, the faster the pitcher accumulates strikeouts, the faster the pitcher generally joins the 3,000 Strikeout Club.

The average length of career for all 20 members of the 3,000 Strikeout Club, including active hurlers Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw is 21 seasons. The average strikeouts per nine innings is 7.5. The fewest innings to join the club was Randy Johnson at 2,470 2/3 innings, with Max Scherzer not far behind, joining at 2,516 innings pitched. Pedro Martinez (2,647 2/3) and Clayton Kershaw (3,000) follow with the third- and fourth-fewest innings pitched to join the club, respectively.

Clayton Kershaw Continues to Make History, Joining the 3,000 Strikeout Club

Clayton Kershaw has been one of the best pitchers in the majors during his tenure, winning the NL Cy Young Award three times and the MVP once. Kershaw won the MLB ERA title four consecutive seasons and the NL ERA title five times. He’s generally considered a future first-ballot Hall of Famer by people in the industry. During his career, he’s amassed a 2.51 ERA (155 ERA+), 1.012 WHIP, .697 win percentage, and 3,000 strikeouts (9.7 K/9) in 2,787 1/3 innings.

Clayton Kershaw has had the required longevity in his career to join the 3,000 strikeout club. He also continues to set the bar for future Dodger pitchers at over 3,000 strikeouts, having played his entire career in Los Angeles and continuing to add to his all-time Dodger strikeout record. Time will tell if anyone is able to take that record down, but it likely won’t be anytime soon, as no other current Dodger is in the top 50. Kershaw also leads the Dodgers’ all-time ranks in WHIP at 1.014.

Clayton Kershaw Joins 3,000 Strikeout Club Wednesday

The 2025 season has not been Kershaw’s best season, but he began the season on the IL due to recovering from knee and toe surgeries. Kershaw started his first game of 2025 on May 17 against the Los Angeles Angels and gave up five earned runs on five hits, including a homer, while striking out two across four innings. He gave up four more earned runs over the next three games (11 2/3 innings, 6 strikeouts). Kershaw’s ERA was sitting at an unsightly 5.17. But he’s allowed only four earned runs over his next four starts (23 innings, 21 strikeouts), and his ERA is back down to 3.03 at the start of Wednesday’s game. He earned the win in each of those four starts. In other words, he’s back and continuing to grow his legend.

The fans wanted his 3,000 Strikeout Club celebration to be at home, where he’s spent his entire 18-year career— and they got their wish Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Only sitting three strikeouts away from becoming the fourth lefty to join the 3,000 Strikeout Club, the fifth-place (28-57) Chicago White Sox stood in Kershaw’s way. With Kershaw’s career 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the fans knew that there wasn’t much chance of Kershaw failing to strike out three White Sox batters. The only question was what inning he would do it in.

Kershaw’s First Inning Wednesday

The fans in Los Angeles are known to show up late to games. But not tonight. Tonight, the stands were packed for the first pitch of the game. Kershaw opened the night up against Chase Meidroth and quickly threw two balls before rebounding with two strikes. Meidroth then stroked a liner out to right field for the first out. The second batter of the evening to face Kershaw was Austin Slater, who quickly found himself in an 0-2 count. Slater promptly tripled on a line drive down the first baseline. The ball was misplayed by Andy Pages in right field, which allowed Slater to advance to third. The third batter for the White Sox was former Dodger Miguel Vargas, who was one for his last 25 with 10 strikeouts. Vargas grounded out to third softly with Slater remaining at third base.

Andrew Benintendi stepped to the plate next against Kershaw. He sent a line drive, again to Andy Pages in right field for an RBI single. Edgar Quero stepped to the plate next and chopped a bouncer past the mound, reaching on an infield single without a throw. With two men on, two men out, and Lenyn Sosa at the plate, Sosa launched a ball to left field that Michael Conforto jumped up and caught, potentially robbing Sosa of a home run. So the first half of the first inning ends with the Dodgers down a run and Kershaw still sitting at 2,997 strikeouts.

Kershaw’s Third Inning

After two groundouts and a flyout to left in the second inning, Kershaw entered the third inning still short of joining the 3,000 Strikeout Club by three strikeouts. After a single to right by Meidroth, Slater airmailed a ball over the wall in left-center for a two-run homer. Former Dodger Vargas then became strikeout 2,998 in Kershaw’s career for the first out of the third frame. The fans let out a roar. Benintendi then doubled to right before Quero singled him in with a liner, also to right field. Sosa and Mike Tauchman each flew out to end the inning, but Kershaw has given up four earned runs while striking out one in three innings (63 pitches).

Kershaw’s Fifth Inning

After a walk, sacrifice bunt, groundout, and flyout in the fourth, Clayton Kershaw enters the fifth inning two strikeouts shy of joining the 3,000 Strikeout Club. Vargas stepped to the plate and promptly lined out to left. Benintendi then promptly lined out to center. Quero singled on a grounder up the middle. Kershaw is looking wild, so Alex Vesia begins to warm up in the bullpen. Sosa then becomes strikeout 2,999 for Kershaw to end the inning.

Kershaw needs only one strikeout, but he’s thrown 92 pitches in this game, tying his season high. After leaving his previous start with only 69 pitches in six innings, however, Kershaw may have something left in the tank. The bottom of the White Sox batting order is due up in the sixth.

Kershaw’s Sixth Inning

Clayton Kershaw returned to the mound in the sixth inning to a roar from the home crowd. Tauchman quickly grounded out to first. Taylor doubled down the third baseline before being caught stealing third. Vinny Capra became the 3,000th strikeout of Kershaw’s career on a backdoor slider for a called strike three. The crowd rose to its feet as Kershaw walked off the mound. As he approached the Dodger dugout, he raised his hands in the air and blew kisses to the adoring Dodger fans. An announcement was made to another thunderous roar from the crowd as Kershaw raised his hat in the air. Every person in the dugout congratulated Kershaw. 3,000 strikeouts in 2,787 1/3 innings for Kershaw.

Kershaw’s final numbers on the night: four earned runs on nine hits and one walk with three important strikeouts in six innings (100 pitches-67 strikes).

Fun Facts About the 3,000 Strikeout Club

Both Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan fanned Cesar Geronimo to join the club
The fewest innings pitched to join the club was Randy Johnson at 2,470 2/3
The most innings pitched to join the club was Walter Johnson at 4,908 2/3
The youngest player to join the club was Nolan Ryan at age 33
The oldest player to join the club was Phil Niekro at age 45
The average age of a player to join the club is 37 years old
Out of the 20 members, nine struck out outfielders to join the club
The only pitcher to join the club by striking out a fellow pitcher was Pedro Martinez (Aaron Harang)
Out of the 17 retired pitchers in the club, 15 are in the Hall of Fame (Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling)
Only four of the 20 members throw left-handed (Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, CC Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw)

Clayton Kershaw and the other 19 Members of the 3,000 Strikeout Club

Date	Pitcher	IP to 3,000	Career Strikeouts	Career Innings	Career K/9 IP	Career Seasons
7/8/1923	Walter Johnson	4,908 2/3	3,508	5,914 1/3	5.3	21
7/17/1974	Bob Gibson	3,666 1/3	3,117	3,884 1/3	7.2	17
10/1/1978	Gaylord Perry	4,355 2/3	3,534	5,350	5.9	22
7/4/1980	Nolan Ryan	3,072	5,714	5,386	9.5	27
4/18/1981	Tom Seaver	3,642 2/3	3,640	4,782 2/3	6.8	20
4/29/1981	Steve Carlton	3,823 1/3	4,136	5,217 1/3	7.1	24
5/25/1982	Fergie Jenkins	4,176	3,192	4,500 2/3	6.4	19
6/24/1983	Don Sutton	4,243 2/3	3,574	5,282 1/3	6.1	23
7/4/1984	Phil Niekro	4,746 1/3	3,342	5,404 1/3	5.6	24
8/1/1986	Bert Blyleven	3,887 1/3	3,701	4,970	6.7	22
7/5/1998	Roger Clemens	3,154 2/3	4,672	4,916 2/3	8.6	24
9/10/2000	Randy Johnson	2,470 2/3	4,875	4,135 1/3	10.6	22
7/26/2005	Greg Maddux	4,313	3,371	5,008 1/3	6.1	23
8/30/2006	Curt Schilling	3,093	3,116	3,261	8.6	20
9/3/2007	Pedro Martinez	2,647 2/3	3,154	2,827 1/3	10.0	18
4/22/2008	John Smoltz	3,385 2/3	3,084	3,473	8.0	21
4/30/2019	CC Sabathia	3,487	3,093	3,577 1/3	7.8	19
9/28/2019	Justin Verlander	2,979 1/3	3,471	3,483 1/3	9.0	20*
9/12/2021	Max Scherzer	2,516	3,419	2,891	10.6	18*
7/2/2025	Clayton Kershaw	2,787 1/3	3,000	2,787 1/3	9.7	18*
	Average	3,609	3,634	4,350	7.5	21

Source: Baseball Reference | *Active Player

Closest Active Players to 3,000 Strikeouts

The closest active pitchers to 3,000 strikeouts are Chris Sale and Gerrit Cole. 36-year-old Chris Sale is 472 strikeouts away from 3,000. Sale averages 248 strikeouts per 162 games and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in his 15-year career. His main issue is not accumulating strikeouts but accumulating innings. From 2018-24, Sale averaged 106 innings per season, averaging 144 strikeouts in 19 starts per season. But Sale is coming off a 2024 season in which he started 29 games and struck out 225 batters in 177 2/3 innings.

If Sale can average 200 strikeouts per season, it would take him about two more seasons to join the 3,000 strikeout club, provided he can finish 2025 with 200 or more strikeouts. Sale currently has 114 strikeouts, but is on the 60-day IL after fracturing his left ribcage during a diving attempt to catch a ball. It’s unlikely that he’ll make it to 200 strikeouts this season, which makes 2028 a more likely target for Sale, though 2027 is not out of the question. Sale will be 39 years of age in 2028, so time will tell if the lefty has the longevity to continue pitching at a high level and join the club.

Gerrit Cole’s 3,000 Strikeout Club Chances

34-year-old Gerrit Cole sits 749 strikeouts away from 3,000. Cole averages 241 strikeouts per 162 games and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Like Sale, Cole has had several injuries in his career and currently expects to miss all of 2025 and part of 2026 while recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2025. If Cole can return during the 2026 season to whiff 100 or more batters, he can average 217 strikeouts or more per season to join the 3,000 Strikeout Club in 2029. If Cole returns at the start of 2027, it’ll take 250 strikeouts per season to accomplish the feat in 2029, but it’s probably more likely that he joins the club sometime in 2030.

Kershaw’s Future

Kershaw has done pretty much everything in his illustrious career. He won a World Series in 2020, though he was unable to pitch in the 2024 postseason when the Dodgers won their second World Series title in four years. Dodger fans would love to see the 35-year-old hurler be a main piece in another championship run, but Kershaw has nothing left to prove to the fans. In their eyes, he’s already done it all. The final questions for Kershaw’s career are few. How many more seasons will he pitch? Will he play his entire career with the Dodgers? How many more World Series rings are in store? How many more strikeouts will he accumulate? Will he be a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

We don’t know the answer to these questions yet, but time will tell.