Los Angeles Dodgers future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw has enjoyed immense success over the last 18 seasons, including three Cy Young awards, 11 All Star selections, an MVP, and two World Series rings among his many accolades. But as his career comes to a close, a few MLB stars have touched on the legacy that the southpaw will leave behind.
Longtime San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner thinks that Kershaw is second to none, despite the bitter rivalry between the two ballclubs.
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“I think he’s the best pitcher to ever play,” Bumgarner said of Kershaw.
Bumgarner has four All-Star nods, three World Series rings, and even a World Series MVP to his name. He was in the Cy Young conversation for most of his peak, but is remembered for his dependability and durability for the rivals up North.
Another competitor to applaud Kershaw and his greatness was eight-year Arizona Diamondbacks veteran Paul Goldschmidt. The MVP first baseman has a career .288 batting average with an OPS of .883 over the last 15 seasons, but has gone just 15-for-67 against Kershaw in his career with 24 strikeouts.
He noted that it wasn’t just his skill on the mound, but Kershaw’s character that also set him apart from others on the diamond.
“He’s, like, my favorite guy in baseball,” Goldschmidt said. “My favorite player. I hate to say that about a pitcher. I kind of joke, like, I’d spend money to buy his jersey.”
Even Goldschmidt’s current teammate with the New York Yankees, Gerrit Cole, took a moment to share his feelings on Kershaw, calling him “the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time.” Cole has a Cy Young award and six All-Star nods to his name in addition to five top-5 finishes in Cy Young voting before attaining the honor in 2023.
The landscape of baseball will be different without Kershaw, and next season, the Dodgers will have a roster without Kershaw on it for the first time since 2008. His contributions to the world of pitching will never be forgotten and his indelible impact will last for generations to come.
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Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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2 Responses
Total respect the individual of the game, i believe each player has respect for everyone but even more so for those of greater caliber
Always great to see everyone respect the true GOATs of the game