Clayton Kershaw announces his retirement at the end of the 2025 season

Los Angeles. – A golden era in Major League Baseball is coming to an end. Star left-hander Clayton Kershaw, an emblem of the Los Angeles Dodgers, announced that he will retire at the end of the 2025 season, ending a brilliant 18-year career in the best baseball in the world.

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Kershaw, 37, had already considered retirement after missing much of 2024 due to injuries, but decided to return this year with a clear goal: to say goodbye in his own way and wearing only the Dodgers uniform. “Being in one organization throughout my entire career means a lot. It’s a goal I always had,” said the pitcher. The Los Angeles club confirmed that Kershaw will make his last regular season start this Friday at Dodger Stadium against the San Francisco Giants, the rival he faced the most times in his career. The numbers back up his greatness. With a lifetime ERA of 2.54, the lefty currently ranks 25th on the historical list. He is one of only three active pitchers with more than 200 wins (alongside Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer) and this year became the 20th pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts, being only the fourth lefty to achieve it. Among his most outstanding achievements are:

3 Cy Young Awards
1 National League MVP Award (2014)
2 World Series titles
11 All-Star selections
Roberto Clemente Award (2012)

Beyond the records, Kershaw was a pillar of stability for the Dodgers’ rotation, even in a transition campaign in which the team seeks to defend its championship. In 20 starts of 2025, he recorded a 10-2 record with a 3.53 ERA. The decision to hang up the spikes also responds to family reasons. Kershaw wishes to dedicate more time to his wife Ellen and his four children, with a fifth on the way. With this announcement, Kershaw joins the list of legends who managed to retire with the same team that saw them born and triumph in the Major Leagues.