The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw is a first-ballot Hall of Famer with three Cy Young Awards and arguably the best pitcher of his generation. However, Kershaw might be starting to trend downward a bit. Here are two props available to wager at Mybookie on Kershaw’s 2020 MLB season – assuming there is one – and an overview.
Clayton Kershaw MLB Awards Odds & Analysis For 2020 Season
- Most wins of any pitcher: Kershaw is +2000
- NL Cy Young Award: Kershaw is +1600 to win his fourth
In 2011, Kershaw won the pitching Triple Crown and the NL Cy Young Award, becoming the youngest pitcher to accomplish either of these feats since Dwight Gooden in 1985. He has led MLB in ERA five times, and was the first major league pitcher to do so in four consecutive years (2011–2014). Kershaw is also a three-time NL wins leader and three-time NL strikeouts leader.
Last year, Kershaw experienced left shoulder inflammation early in spring training, causing him to be shut down and he did not begin throwing in spring until late. As a result, the Dodgers chose to place him on the injured list to begin the season, ending his Dodgers record streak of eight straight opening day starts. Kershaw still was picked for his eighth All-Star Game.
On Aug. 14 against the Marlins, Kershaw won his 165th career game, tying the legendary Sandy Koufax for the most ever by a Dodger left-handed pitcher. He also struck out the first seven batters in the game, breaking a Dodger record previously held by Andy Messersmith (1973) and one short of the major league record. The next time out, he beat the Blue Jays to break a tie with Koufax. However, that game also marked only the sixth time in his career that Kershaw gave up two home runs in the same game to the same batter, Bo Bichette, and only the first time Kershaw did so to a rookie.
Overall, Kershaw finished the season 16-5 with a 3.03 ERA and 189 strikeouts. The southpaw ranked among the NL leaders in ERA (7th), wins (T-3rd), opponent’s batting average (.222, 8th), opponents’ OBP (.269, 6th), WHIP (7th), walks per nine innings (2.07, 10th) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.61, 8th). Kershaw pitched 6.0 or more in 26 of 28 starts, including his first 23 starts of the year which matched the longest run of his career in 2015.
For whatever reason, the all-time great seems to struggle a bit in the playoffs. In Game 2 of the NLDS against Washington, Kershaw suffered his 11th career playoff loss, allowing three runs on six hits over his six innings. The Nationals got to him early in this one, with Howie Kendrick delivering an RBI single in the first inning, then Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon adding run-scoring hits in the second.
In Game 5 against the Nats, Kershaw allowed two runs over 1/3 of an inning in L.A.’s loss. Kershaw allowed back-to-back homers to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto to surrender a 3-1 lead before being pulled.
Clayton Kershaw had been named the Opening Day starter for this season and presumably still will be when/if the season starts. If so, the Texas native will add to his franchise record of most Opening day starts with nine. In 2018, Kershaw surpassed Hall of Famers Don Sutton and Don Drysdale, who each had seven Opening Day starts with the Dodgers.
The 31-year old is entering his 13th season with the Dodgers. He has career 169-74 (.695) record and 2.44 ERA (617 ER/2274.2 IP). Among all qualified active pitchers, Kershaw’s 2.44 ERA, .204 batting average against, win percentage and complete game shutouts (15) rank first in the Majors.
