The impact of Kershaw on the 2025 Dodgers has exceeded expectations
When Clayton Kershaw had an outburst after leaving the mound as he saw a series of defensive mishaps ruin an otherwise admirable performance on Sunday, it was symptomatic of not only the ultimate competitor but of a player who’s here not for what he did, but what he is capable of doing now. The veteran southpaw came back for one more year and has so far managed to defy the expectations of many, including yours truly, to be a rather important piece of the puzzle in yet another injury-riddled campaign for the Dodgers‘ starting rotation.
If between anywhere from 2019 to late 2023, we saw just how effective the post-prime version of Kershaw was, still pitching as one of the best in the game, these days we’re seeing the post-post-prime Kershaw not only hold his own well enough to provide a positive impact, but at times be one of a few reliable arms amidst so many setbacks.
After a forgetful season debut against the Angels, Kershaw has allowed no more than two earned runs in eight of last 10 starts, including an outstanding month of June that saw him earn four straight wins and the Dodgers go undefeated in his five performances.
The starter who allowed well over a hit per inning in 30 of them in 2024 has bounced back tremendously to prove we might have underestimated the impact of a clean bill of health, leaving that nagging big toe issue behind. Don’t forget the knee surgery he had as well.
But speaking of that big toe problem, there’s something potentially related to it that stands out. Going back to 2015, Kershaw’s fastball velocity has gradually gone down to the recent campaigns of not even averaging 90 mph on his four-seamer. One of the ways to sort of manufacture velocity in a manner of speaking, even if it isn’t technically true, is through extension.
Oddly enough, Kershaw’s extension of 6.6 feet on every pitch except for the curveball (6.5) is the highest in his career. 6.6 feet is not necessarily anything to write home about, but at this point, the big left-hander will take any help he can get. It doesn’t take a genius to speculate that with a healthy big toe, he’s able to push off a little more aggressively in his windup.
Another aspect to factor in when discussing Kershaw, and this is more of a secondary cost-benefit one, is that he signed a one-year contract with a $7.5 million base salary, nearly the bare minimum for any innings-eater veteran. That contract is filled with incentives, but even hitting them, Kershaw is extremely likely to live up to it and then some.
Dating back to last year’s title-winning season, in which not only did Kershaw seldom see the field — and when he did, he struggled heavily — not to mention the pitching additions ahead of 2025, skepticism about his impact was natural. Every Dodger fan is happy to be wrong, though, and thoroughly enjoys this legend of the game for however much longer we get to watch him.