Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Adds to His Legendary Career with Another Historic Achievement

By beating the New York Yankees on Friday night, Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw has now beaten nearly every single team in the big leagues.

By beating the New York Yankees on Friday night, Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw continued to add to his own incredible resume in baseball history.

Per @OptaSTATS on Twitter:

With his win over the Yankees, the @Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw has now beaten 27 different teams (all but the Dodgers, Orioles & Red Sox, none of whom he has faced in the regular season). That's the most different opponents a pitcher has beaten with a single team in MLB history.

With his win over the Yankees, the @Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw has now beaten 27 different teams (all but the Dodgers, Orioles & Red Sox, none of whom he has faced in the regular season).

That's the most different opponents a pitcher has beaten with a single team in MLB history. pic.twitter.com/nZJwQATmfo

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 3, 2023

I mean, that's incredible on multiple levels. Firstly, it requires you to be really good. It's that simple, you can't get wins at that level without being really good, and Kershaw certainly is. 

Second, it requires longevity. While now with the balanced schedule, an accomplishment like this could conceivably happen easier, Kershaw has played his entire career in a different schedule format where you don't see American League teams for three years at a time. You need to have played long enough to see those teams, and then pitched well enough on limited exposure to win.

Kershaw went seven innings on Friday in an 8-4 win over the Yanks. He allowed four hits, two runs, walked one and struck out nine.

One of the most accomplished pitchers of all-time, Kershaw is a no-doubt Hall of Famer. He's got 204 career wins against 91 losses and owns a lifetime 2.50 ERA. He has won three Cy Young Awards, an MVP award, five ERA titles, a 2020 World Series championship, a Gold Glove award and is a nine-time All-Star.

With the win, the Dodgers are now 35-23 and tied for first place in the National League West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

The Dodgers and Yankees play again on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Maybe Mookie Betts will make even more history in this one.... 

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