End of an era: Clayton Kershaw announces retirement after 18 seasons with Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers made an announcement Thursday, confirming what fans had long suspected but never truly wanted to accept: Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the 2025 season. After 18 illustrious years—each one spent with the team that drafted him in 2006—the iconic left-hander will call it a career, ending one of the most remarkable tenures in the history of Major League Baseball.

At 37, Kershaw is still showing flashes of the brilliance that made him a household name. This season, after recovering from shoulder surgery and signing a one-year deal, he has posted a 3.53 ERA in 20 starts—proof that while the clock may be ticking, his ability to dominate hasn’t entirely faded. His final regular-season home game at Dodger Stadium is set for Friday, when he will take the mound against the San Francisco Giants. A fitting farewell for a player who has been the face of the franchise for nearly two decades.

Kershaw's resume speaks for itself: three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2013, 2014), the 2014 NL MVP, and two World Series titles (2020, 2024). He became the 20th member of the 3,000 Strikeout Club this season, joining the ranks of the game's elite. With 222 wins, 96 losses, and a career ERA of 2.54—the lowest in the Live Ball Era for pitchers with at least 100 starts, Kershaw’s name is etched in baseball history, and his impact on the Dodgers is indelible.

Kershaw has seen the Dodgers through thick and thin—from ownership changes to franchise rebuilding phases, to the team’s eventual rise as perennial championship contenders. He’s been a constant through it all. His career began under the ownership of Frank McCourt, and he’s closing it out under Mark Walter, which has transformed the team into a juggernaut. Through it all, Kershaw was the anchor of a pitching staff that saw playoff heartbreaks and ultimate redemption.

A message from Mark Walter, Owner and Chairman, Los Angeles Dodgers.

"On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all of his profound charitable endeavors. His is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame."

Kershaw's story is not just about the numbers or the hardware. His legacy is one of consistency, leadership, and resilience. There’s a reason Dodgers fans have always held him in such reverence. He wasn’t just their ace; he was their champion. His work ethic, his quiet demeanor, and his commitment to excellence embodied the culture of the team. Kershaw was the one who took the mound in the biggest moments, the one who always showed up for the team when they needed him most.

Consider the iconic no-hitter he threw on June 18, 2014, at Dodger Stadium against the Colorado Rockies—one of the most memorable moments of his career. Consider his 2011 NL Triple Crown season, when he led the league in wins (21), ERA (2.28), and strikeouts (248). Or his masterful 2015 season, when he struck out 301 batters—setting a career high that further cemented his place as one of the game's most dominant pitchers.

Yet, perhaps the most fitting way to measure his legacy is by the way he performed when it mattered most—the postseason. Kershaw has often been critiqued for his playoff performances early in his career, but his redemption came in the 2020 World Series, when he delivered the type of clutch pitching that was previously uncharacteristic of him in October. It was a defining moment in his career, and it made the Dodgers' 2020 championship all the more sweet, not only for the team but for the man who had carried them for so many years.

With Kershaw's final season, there's one last wish that fans can still hold out for: the chance for him to retire with one more World Series ring. With the Dodgers entering the 2025 postseason as one of the top teams in the National League, there’s a real possibility that Kershaw could walk away with a third World Series title, further cementing his legacy as one of the game's all-time greats.

If the Dodgers can cap off his legendary career with back-to-back titles—a feat that hasn't been done in 25 years, it would be the perfect sendoff for the man who defined a generation of Dodgers baseball. The image of Kershaw, his face bathed in confetti, holding up the World Series trophy one last time, would be the most fitting of conclusions for one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport.

It’s rare to see a player stay with one team for an entire career in today’s era of free agency, but Kershaw has been the rare exception. His dedication to the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles is something fans won’t soon forget. As he walks off the mound for the final time, the city and the organization will celebrate not only the legacy of his pitching career but the lasting impact he’s made on the community and the sport of baseball.