Clayton Kershaw Retires: $314M, 3,000 Ks, 2.54 ERA

A Data Legacy

Author

Samuel Rogers
November 19, 2025

Clayton Kershaw is officially walking off the mound — and into history.

The Dodgers announced that the 37-year-old lefty will retire after this season, closing a legendary 18-year career with one final start at Dodger Stadium against the Giants, the rival he’s faced more than any other.

⚾ Career By the Numbers

  • 11× All-Star

  • 2× World Series Champion

  • 3× Cy Young Awards

  • 2014 NL MVP (rare feat for a pitcher)

  • 2012 Roberto Clemente Award

  • 3,000 career strikeouts → 20th pitcher ever, only the 4th lefty

  • 200+ career wins → elite club alongside Verlander & Scherzer

  • 2.54 career ERA → lowest among starters in the modern era (min. 2,500 IP)

Kershaw wasn’t just dominant — he was efficient, consistent, and relentless at a level baseball may not see again from a left-hander.

💰 The Money Game: Highest-Earning Pitchers in MLB History (as of Sept. 2025)

Rank

Pitcher

Career Earnings

Seasons Played

Avg/Year

1

Justin Verlander

$409M

20

$20.4M

2

Max Scherzer

$345M

18

$19.2M

3

Zack Greinke

$328M

20

$16.4M

4

Clayton Kershaw

$314M

18

$17.4M

5

CC Sabathia

$265M

19

$13.9M

🔍 Insights

  • Verlander is the money king — $409M career haul, highest per-season average as well.

  • Kershaw retires Top 5 in career earnings, despite never chasing late-career mercenary deals.

  • Lefty rarity → Only Kershaw and Sabathia crack the list.

  • Generational economics → Pedro, Maddux, and Randy Johnson never even crossed $180M.

📊 Legacy in Context

  • Peak Dominance: From 2011–2017, Kershaw’s average ERA was 2.10 with a WHIP under 1.00.

  • Dodgers Icon: Spent his entire career in LA, carrying the franchise into the superteam era.

  • Hall of Fame Lock: First-ballot, no debate.

Kershaw’s career ERA (2.54) isn’t just elite — it’s absurd. For comparison:

  • Verlander: 3.25 ERA

  • Scherzer: 3.14 ERA

  • Greinke: 3.49 ERA

👉 Translation: The money is impressive. The dominance is eternal.

🧨 Blunt Insights Take

Clayton Kershaw retires as the definitive lefty ace of his generation:

  • $314M earned.

  • 3,000+ strikeouts.

  • A sub-2.60 ERA that stands as a monument to consistency.

  • And two World Series titles that silenced early critics of his October record.

The Dodgers now face the question: who becomes the next true ace in LA? Buehler? Glasnow? Or does Shohei Ohtani reclaim the role post-rehab?

One thing is clear: the Kershaw era is over — and it was worth every dollar.

Men lie. Women lie. The numbers never do.

Kershaw’s career was built on numbers that don’t just tell the story — they define it.
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