Left-handed starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is retiring after playing 18 seasons in the MLB. Each one of those seasons was with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the bitter SoCal rivals of the San Diego Padres.
Being in the same division, the National League West, the Padres have had to deal with Kershaw’s dominance multiple times a year since he came into the league in 2008.
In 48 starts against San Diego in his career, Kershaw has thrown 306 ⅓ innings against the Friars. He recorded an ERA of 2.17 against the Padres across his 18-year career.
It wasn’t just a San Diego thing, however. Kershaw was the most talented pitcher in baseball in the early 2010s, tormenting any opponent he took the mound against. The 37-year-old won the CY Young Award in 2011, 2013, and 2014. His 2014 campaign was so dominant that Kershaw also took home the MVP Award. He remains the most recent pitcher to win the award, excluding two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani.
Kershaw started against the Padres in the 2020 Division Series, having a rather pedestrian performance for his standards. Still, the southpaw earned the win as the Dodgers went on their way to sweep San Diego. Padres fans had to watch their bitter rivals, including Kershaw, go on to win the World Series.
Of course, there have been times when the Padres have gotten the best of Kershaw and the Dodgers. One of these came in May of 2023, when San Diego’s lineup hit all over Kershaw, who allowed 4 runs in 4 ⅔ innings. To mock their rival, the team put Kershaw on the Jumbotron with a crying filter on his face. It was one of the rare moments where the Padres got the best of him –– they had to take advantage of the opportunity. Kershaw was a good sport about it, saying, “[If] you don’t like it, pitch better.”
Padres fans will certainly be relieved to never see Kershaw on the mound. There have inevitably been tension, drama, and heated moments between Kershaw and San Diego over the years, but his greatness can’t be ignored –– even amongst Padres fans. The future Hall of Famer left his imprint all over the game.
Though they may not want to admit it, Padres fans might miss the pleasure of seeing Kershaw’s signature curveball prompt swing and miss after swing and miss, even at their expense.