Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw is as Good as Ever in Year 16

Clayton Kershaw is off to his best start in years.

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is having a sensational start to the 2023 season. With six starts under his belt, Kershaw boasts an impressive 5-1 record, a 1.89 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP, a .175 batting average against, and 41 strikeouts. These numbers are remarkable for any pitcher, but they are particularly impressive for a 35-year-old in his 16th season in the MLB.

After his most recent outing where he threw seven shutout innings while allowing only two hits, and striking out nine, his manager, Dave Roberts, said the future Hall of Famer just keeps getting better and better.

“Tonight was his best [of the season] for me as far as stuff from start to finish. I thought his fastball glove-side, arm-side, the lateness of the curveball was as good as I’ve seen. The slider … the way he tunneled [pitches] was exceptional. That’s as good a team as you’re going to see against left-handed pitching, and the way he dominated those guys was impressive.”

Despite the emergence of guys like Walker Buehler and Julio Urias, who slowly have been assuming the roles of co-aces of the staff over the last few years, Kershaw has shown that he is still capable of dominating games. And he's been the most consistent starter for the Dodgers this season, providing much-needed stability in an at times shaky rotation.

Kershaw's performance in Saturday's game was particularly impressive, with a 36 CSW percentage and 19 swings-and-misses. His famous Cooperstown Curveball was as nasty as ever, leaving batters swinging at thin air.

Although Kershaw's age and injury history make it unlikely that he will remain healthy for an entire season, if he can limit minor injuries and maintain this level of dominance, he could reassert himself as one of baseball's premier pitchers. 

He is currently an early candidate for the National League Cy Young award, and just took home his first NL Pitcher of the Month award in seven years. All in all a surprising but not shocking turn of events in his 16th year in the league.