It can sometimes be hard to recognize the true extent of greatness while it's happening.
But one stat says Los Angeles Dodgers lefty legend Clayton Kershaw might be the actual greatest.
The stat ERA+ accounts for the era a player competes in and normalizes it so that a 100 ERA+ is league average and anything above that is better than league average.
And of every pitcher with at least 2,300 innings pitched, Kershaw is tied for first all-time in ERA+. And he's retiring at the end of the postseason, so his regular season numbers won't change.
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Kershaw put up a 154, and so did Pedro Martinez.
Here's the full top-10, via Blake Harris:
- Clayton Kershaw 154
- Pedro Martinez 154
- Lefty Grove 148
- Roger Clemens 143
- Randy Johnson 135
- Whitey Ford 133
- Greg Maddux 132
- Sandy Koufax 131
- Max Scherzer 131
- Roy Halladay 131
Kershaw is so, so special.
The Dodgers are in a weird spot. They're not even going to have him on the NL Wild Card roster. They've got too much pitching and not enough roster space for Kershaw.
He may make it back if Los Angeles advances, but Kershaw has to wait and see for now.
But no matter what, Kershaw's legacy is secure.
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He was once the NL MVP. In the 2020 World Series, he finally delivered in his biggest moments. He's been a steady presence throughout a whole era of Dodgers dominance.
And he's got a case as the greatest pitcher to ever stand on the mound.
Even just that there's an argument to be made sums up how special Kershaw has been all these years.
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