While fellow future Hall of Famers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer have him beat, Clayton Kershaw is one of the oldest starting pitchers in baseball at 37. He was drafted in 2006, when now-teammates Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland were five. Over the past two seasons, he's battled injuries and seen his performance dip, but the Dodgers keep bringing him back.
It makes sense for both parties. Kershaw wants to meaningfully contribute to a World Series win with the team that drafted him, and the Dodgers would never say no to bringing back a homegrown living legend.
However, with the way Kershaw's 2024 went, and knowing that his 2025 season was going to start late, fans had to wonder if the lefty was just going to call it a day — and if that might actually be in the best interest of the club.