To say that Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has been the best pitcher of his generation would be an understatement.
He was dominating in 2009, in the days where CC Sabathia, Matt Cain, and Tim Lincecum were at their best.
He was magnificent in the mid-2010s, when Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, and Cole Hamels were at their peak.
And he is still a legitimate ace in 2023, at 35 years old, with a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings this season.
His greatness transcends time.
He is, without a doubt, one of the best pitchers in the history of the game if we consider the quality of competition and his consistent dominance.
On Tuesday, against the powerful New York Mets no less, he reached 200 career wins.
Kershaw, who is now 3-1 to open the season, surrendered no runs on three hits and zero walks over seven innings.
He struck out nine in the impressive outing, and looked like vintage Kershaw with that Cooperstown curveball and his impeccable command.
The most impressive part of his 200 wins is that they come in fewer than 300 decisions.
Yes: he only has 88 career losses, which is absolutely mind-blowing.
“Kershaw reaches 200 wins in 288 career decisions. His .694 career win pct is the highest in MLB history among pitchers with 200+ wins. He also lowered his career ERA to 2.48, the lowest in the Live-Ball Era (since RBI became official in 1920) among pitchers with 200 wins,” ESPN Stats & Info tweeted.
Kershaw reaches 200 wins in 288 career decisions. His .694 career win pct is the highest in MLB history among pitchers with 200+ wins.
He also lowered his career ERA to 2.48, the lowest in the Live-Ball Era (since RBI became official in 1920) among pitchers with 200 wins. pic.twitter.com/gW6RHVq73s
—ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 19, 2023
Kershaw has the lowest ERA in the live ball era among hurlers with at least 200 wins.
The lowest ERA.
We can discuss the predictive power of strikeouts, how accurate is FIP as a stat to measure pitching quality, or other things.
At the end of the day, however, it’s run prevention that matters the most for pitchers.
Kershaw is the king of run-prevention prowess.
NEXT:
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