MLB 21st century face of the franchise — Los Angeles Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw
Since the days of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, the Dodgers have been known as a pitching team. Clayton Kershaw carries on that tradition admirably.
A first-round Dodgers draftee in 2006, Kershaw debuted two seasons later and made his big splash in 2011. He went 21-5 that season, led the National League with a 2.28 ERA, fanned a league-leading 248 opponents and won the Cy Young Award.
His career since then has been one extended repetition. Kershaw sports a career .694 winning percentage founded on a 2.48 ERA and a 197-87 record. It wouldn’t be a National League All-Star team without Kershaw, who added the 2013 and 2014 Cy Youngs along with the 2014 MVP to his trophy case. In 2014, he went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, his fourth straight league-leading performance in that category.
In 2015 Kershaw struck out 301 opponents.
Kershaw is quickly rising through the pantheon of Dodger greats. He already ranks first all-time in WAR, having produced 73.1 games of value. He is sixth in franchise ERA, third in wins and first in strikeouts.
In the wings: Since the Dodgers are classically a pitching-oriented team, it makes sense to look to the mound for successors to Kershaw. There are candidates aplenty.
Julio Urias has won 37 games the past two seasons and led the league in ERA in 2022. Tony Gonsolin was 16-1 in his first full season. Injuries limited Walker Buehler, but in 2021 he was 16-4. Take your pick.