Kershaw Redefines Pitching Longevity with Masterclass Against Giants
Baseball keeps changing, but some things just don't get old. Nobody made that clearer than Clayton Kershaw with his June 14 outing against the San Francisco Giants. At 37, most pitchers are either out of the rotation or leaning heavily on memory and reputation. Yet Kershaw just keeps tweaking, learning, and silencing doubters with another seven polished innings for the Dodgers. He gave up only three hits and punched out five Giants, handing L.A. sole possession of first place after a stretch that saw the team hunting stability in the rotation.
Kershaw's signature? Precision. His fastball isn't blowing past hitters at 95 anymore—it's living in the 88-90 range after a 2023 shoulder surgery and toe/knee work last year. But he's not fussed about it. What he loses in sheer heat, he makes up for with surgical control and a wicked sense of timing. The slider comes in sharp, the curveball floats just when hitters expect a heater, and his command lets him put the ball right on the black. You could see the Giants' batters guessing and missing all night.
Pushing Through Pain, Building New Partnerships
The secret sauce? Adaptation. Kershaw makes it look easy, but this year has been a slog behind the scenes. After nearly two decades on the mound, he's pitching through a history book of injuries—most recently a reconstructed shoulder and pain in his lower body. He's traded raw velocity for guile, out-smarting batters who grew up watching him on TV. That’s not just willpower; it’s years of self-study, adjustments, and never getting too comfortable with old habits.
Another twist in Kershaw’s 2025 campaign? His partnership with rookie catcher J.D. Rushing. Everyone noticed the nerves in Rushing's debut game with Kershaw—missed locations, some crossed signals, nothing disastrous, but enough to spark questions. Since then, Kershaw's been quick to praise the rookie. He credits Rushing for putting in the hours behind the scenes, learning every quirk of Kershaw’s approach. Veteran and newcomer found balance, navigating batters as a tandem, and it’s made visible difference for a battered Dodgers rotation still weathering early-season injuries.
What’s pushing Kershaw now is less about single games and more about milestones. With every strikeout—he’s closing in on that magic 3,000 mark—he further locks in his reputation as one of modern baseball’s few sure-fire Hall of Famers. He sits alongside the greats despite a league loaded with electric young arms and souped-up fastballs. And he does it his way: outfoxing hitters and racking up wins with sweat and smarts rather than just raw power.
Watching Kershaw now, you get the feeling he's not just surviving—he’s thriving, bending the game to fit a new stage in his career, while showing younger Dodgers and fans that greatness evolves but never gets old.