page_title: Clayton Kershaw
section_title: Pitching style
hierarchical_section_title: Clayton Kershaw / Pitching style
caption_attribution_description: English: Clayton Kershaw pitching against the New York Mets in 2012
context_page_description: Clayton Edward Kershaw is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw has played 13 seasons in the major leagues since he debuted in 2008. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, and the 2014 NL Most Valuable Player. His 2.44 career earned run average and 1.01 walks plus hits per inning pitched rate are the lowest among starters in the live-ball era. Kershaw has a career hits allowed per nine innings pitched average of 6.78, the second-lowest in MLB history. He has been described throughout the majority of his career as the best pitcher in baseball.
  Kershaw was drafted seventh overall in the 2006 MLB draft. He worked his way through the Dodgers' farm system in just one full season, and reached the majors at 20 years old. When he debuted in 2008, he was the youngest player in MLB, a title he held for one full year. In 2011, he 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.
context_section_description: Kershaw's pitching style relies on deception, movement, and changes of velocity. He keeps the ball hidden so that it is hard for the batter to pick up the ball, and has a consistent overhand delivery on all of his pitches. He also consistently lands low on the strike zone below the catcher's knees, causing batters to chase the ball even when it is clearly going to hit the dirt. Out of the windup, Kershaw lowers his right foot vertically with a slight pause before moving it forward toward the plate. The motion was described during the 2015 National League Division Series as a "kickstand move," drawing comparison with one setting a kickstand on a bicycle. Out of the stretch, he uses a slide step as it makes it difficult for a baserunner at first base to get a read on him. He has often said that he modeled his pitching mechanics after his favorite pitcher growing up, Roger Clemens.
  Kershaw's repertoire includes a four-seam fastball that sits anywhere from 91 miles per hour (146 km/h) to 95 miles per hour (153 km/h) and in his younger years topped out at 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) with late movement, a slider at 84 miles per hour (135 km/h)–90 miles per hour (140 km/h), a 12–6 curveball between 72 miles per hour (116 km/h)–75 miles per hour (121 km/h), and a seldom thrown changeup (under 3%). As of late in the 2015 season, he is believed to be experimenting with the use of a cutter.
  He is also known for having one of the better pickoff moves to first base and is considered one of the better fielding pitchers in the game. According to Al Leiter in the 2018 season, the average spin rate of his curve ball was listed to be barely above league average (2497 rpm, 2484 rpm league average), but he is still able to use the pitch effectively due to better control and location, and having similar release action to Sandy Koufax.
caption: Example of Kershaw's stride and deception
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