The time has finally come and the milestone has finally happened. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher has finally reached the 3,000 strikeout mark. He did so in the game against the Chicago White Sox Wednesday night inside Dodger Stadium.

Clayton Kershaw Reaches 3,000 Strikeouts

Clayton Kershaw was already heading to Cooperstown. But this milestone already adds to his legacy and the accolades he’s managed to accomplish. Kershaw becomes the 20th pitcher to reach the mark and is the third active pitcher to be a member of the 3,000 club. Justin Verlander (now with the Giants) reached the mark in 2019 and Max Scherzer (now with the Blue Jays), reached the mark, also as a member of the Dodgers in 2021. But for Kershaw, this further cements his legacy as a Dodger and it’s wonderful to see.

When it comes to being a franchise leader in pitching categories, Kershaw has cemented himself in the history books. He has spent his entire career as a Dodger, which makes this extra special. You can’t say that about many guys, but for Kershaw you can and he is a Dodger through and through.

Among the history books for Dodgers pitchers, he leads in wins above replacement (77.1), showcasing how valuable he has been as a pitcher. He has racked up 216 wins across 18 seasons (2nd best) and has the sixth best ERA (2.51). Of course, he holds the record for the most strikeouts, and in fact broke the franchise record back in 2022 to pass Don Sutton.

It takes a lot to be durable and to pitch this long, especially in today’s game. But Kershaw has managed to defy those odds and keep going and as long as he wants to keep pitching, he simply will and likely in Dodger Blue.

Reaching this milestone is nothing but special and spectacular and it already adds to the long list of achievements he has racked up over his career. Kershaw is a 10x All-Star, won the NL MVP (2014), 3x NL CY Young winner (2011, 2013, 2014), led the league in strikeouts three times, best ERA in the NL five times, and wins leader in the NL three times. It was a purely dominant career, especially in the early 2010’s. And most of all; a World Series Champion in 2020.

It remains to be seen when Kershaw hangs up his cleats for good, but what we do know is he cements his legacy further and further as time goes on.

It’s only a matter of time before the Clayton Kershaw statue is built outside of Dodger Stadium.