Usually, going out a champion is the dream and few people manage to do so. Clayton Kershaw did it. However, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays, instead of getting nostalgic, the legendary pitcher didn’t even notice he won the World Series.
Laughing, Kershaw admitted he didn’t notice they won. “When we hit the double play, I thought the run scored and it was tied. I had no idea. I thought I had the next batter.” It was Dodgers‘ bullpen catcher, Josh Bard, the one that broke the news. “Bardo was there and he looked at me, he said, `We just won the World Series’ and I was like, ‘Are you sure?’”
While pretty much all the Dodgers were celebrating, Kershaw was locked in. However, then the adrenaline hit and he joined his teammates celebrating. Only Kershaw could go out like that.
Kershaw did it all in his career
Clayton Kershaw is undoubtedly one of the greatest pitchers ever. He overcame the choker allegations and ended up as a three-time champion. When asked about how he felt, he was more than grateful.
“It’s not a sad feeling. It really isn’t,” Kershaw said to the media. “I mean, how cool is this? I will forever for the rest of my life be able to say we won Game 7 of the World Series in the last game I ever played. You can’t script that. You can’t write it up. Even if I was not throwing 88 (mph), I still would be done. It’s just the perfect way to end it.”
The Dodgers will still be stacked with great pitchers
For 2026, the Dodgers will still have incredible starting pitchers to rely on, even without Kershaw. Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshi Yamamoto will remain on the roster. And, the Dodgers are likely to look for another one in Free Agency.
When it’s all said and done for the 2026 season, it’s clear that the Dodgers will have a top-tier pitching staff. However, the bullpen needs some work. It was the weakest point on their team and four lefties become predictable.