When Clayton Kershaw's historic brilliance received tributes from his peers in the MLB
Clayton Kershaw is known as one of the best pitchers in the MLB. He has not only amassed love from fans, but also garnered acknowledgment from the greatest baseball players around. That was especially seen in 2016, when his fellow players showered rich praise on him.
The Dodgers had a challenging season, to say the least. They did great in the beginning, winning 13 of their first 15 games, but then took a nosedive and lost their next 14 games. This could be attributed to their ace, Clayton Kershaw, suffering from major injuries throughout the season.
Many critics raised their voices, with some even expressing doubts over Clayton's continued career. But many were also on the side of the pitcher, and Kershaw's one-time rival Jake Arrieta spoke of his admiration for the player. Arrieta said:
“He’s pretty much in a class of his own over the last four or five seasons. He’s going to go down as one of the best ever, and to play against (him) and with him in All-Star Games hopefully for a long time to come is special."
Giants ace Madison Bumgarner and Texas Rangers four-time All-Star Cole Hamels also showed their admiration for Kershaw, reinforcing the fact that even in a bad season, he is still respected for his contributions to the game.
Madison Bumgarner, homering off Clayton Kershaw like a BOSS. #PitchersWhoRake 💪💪💪
Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw will continue with the Dodgers for the upcoming season
Dodgers fans were not happy with the team signing Clayton Kershaw to a one-year contract for a hefty sum of US$20 million. The fear many fans expressed was that Kershaw could underperform due to his numerous injuries.
By the end of the 2021 season, their fears had come true. Due to his injuries in 2022, Clayton Kershaw has failed to deliver the results expected of him. Many have attributed the Dodgers' failure to his and Cody Bellinger's injuries.
But many fans and fellow players have stood by the player's side. The president of the baseball operation himself was adamant about his return to the Dodgers.
Kershaw has claimed that he's happy to be back and that it doesn't feel right playing for any team other than the Dodgers.
“I mean, just honestly, it just feels great to come back,” Kershaw said. “I just felt like this is where we needed to be. This is where we want to be. It just feels like we're not done yet, the way we ended up last year it just feels like we’ve got another run on us. So I'm excited to get back out there.”
On a more hopeful note, Clayton has already shared glimpses of how he is preparing during the offseason.
Join me and @TeamMSTRD on Wednesday, December 7th to learn how I approach the offseason, and to talk about what you can do to get ready for your next season! Sign up here: in-the-kitchen.teammstrd.com