Dodgers: Watch Clayton Kershaw Experiment with a Changeup

Clayton Kershaw is back to tinkering with a changeup in spring training.

Clayton Kershaw has three excellent pitches that have won him three Cy Young awards and a NL MVP. His curveball is legendary. His slider (don't call it a cutter) has become an out-pitch as well. The fastball is still the bread and butter, but isn't as fast as it used to be. That will happen after you throw over 2,400 innings. 

A fourth weapon might be necessary if Kershaw wants to continue his run as an elite starter. With that in mind, Kershaw renewed an annual spring tradition this week. He's tinkering with a changeup.

Every spring he throws it and every regular season, he hardly uses it. According to Baseball Savant, Kershaw threw his change up only 11 times last season. In 2020, he threw it only twice in the COVID shortened season.

His changeups against the Guardians this week even merited a post from Rob Fried AKA Pitching Ninja.

Clayton Kershaw, Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/ecRTXM1oE7

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 23, 2022

After the game, Kershaw didn't give his changeups rave reviews.

“Yeah, I threw a few I think. They were okay, they were okay. So won progress still, but overall it was uh…I did. I threw some good ones, which was more than last year.”

Based on his reaction, it doesn't sound like you can expect to say 15-plus changeups in Kershaw's first regular season start.

The fact is his fastball isn't what it used to be and whether it's this year, or down the road, he might need to incorporate a fourth pitch into the mix.

If it's anything like the other three, he should be able to still generate plenty of outs with it.