{"id":14304,"date":"2025-07-02T21:30:54","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T04:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=14304"},"modified":"2025-07-02T21:36:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T04:36:09","slug":"clayton-kershaw-joins-exclusive-3000-strikeout-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2025\/07\/02\/clayton-kershaw-joins-exclusive-3000-strikeout-club\/","title":{"rendered":"Clayton Kershaw Joins Exclusive 3,000 Strikeout Club"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

After White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra<\/a> struck out looking to end the top of the sixth, longtime Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> starter Clayton Kershaw<\/a> 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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The average length of career for all 20 members of the 3,000 Strikeout Club, including active hurlers Justin Verlander<\/a>, Max Scherzer<\/a>, 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<\/a> at 2,470 2\/3 innings, with Max Scherzer not far behind, joining at 2,516 innings pitched. Pedro Martinez<\/a> (2,647 2\/3) and Clayton Kershaw (3,000) follow with the third- and fourth-fewest innings pitched to join the club, respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Clayton Kershaw Continues to Make History, Joining the 3,000 Strikeout Club<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Clayton Kershaw has been one of the best pitchers in the majors during his tenure, winning the NL Cy Young<\/a> 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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Clayton Kershaw Joins 3,000 Strikeout Club Wednesday<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The fans wanted his 3,000 Strikeout Club celebration to be at home, where he’s spent his entire 18-year career\u2014 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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kershaw’s First Inning Wednesday<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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<\/a> 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<\/a>, 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<\/a> in right field, which allowed Slater to advance to third. The third batter for the White Sox was former Dodger Miguel Vargas<\/a>, who was one for his last 25 with 10 strikeouts. Vargas grounded out to third softly with Slater remaining at third base.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Andrew Benintendi<\/a> 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<\/a> 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<\/a> at the plate, Sosa launched a ball to left field that Michael Conforto<\/a> 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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kershaw’s Third Inning<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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<\/a> each flew out to end the inning, but Kershaw has given up four earned runs while striking out one in three innings (63 pitches).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kershaw’s Fifth Inning<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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<\/a> begins to warm up in the bullpen. Sosa then becomes strikeout 2,999 for Kershaw to end the inning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kershaw’s Sixth Inning<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Fun Facts About the 3,000 Strikeout Club<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n