Inside The Dodgers

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Not Thinking About Next Season Yet

Sep 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a first inning pitch against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a first inning pitch against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have way too much going on to start thinking about next year.

After finishing up a series against the San Francisco Giants, many wondered if future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw has thrown his final pitch in San Francisco of his career.

According to Dodgers insider David Vassegh, the southpaw is far from concerned with next season, especially as October looms.

"I don't think about this could be my last one," Kershaw said. "Just try to enjoy it when I do pitch here."

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Regardless of if Kershaw made his final start in San Francisco, it likely won't be among his most memorable.

Kershaw threw two strikeouts over three innings, allowing four runs, four walks, and five hits. His night was over after 67 pitches, six of which were swung on and missed.

Although many around the baseball world have already labeled 2025 as the 37-year-old Kershaw's final season, he is still undecided. On the Almost Athletes Podcast, the veteran touched on consulting his wife over the offseason to weigh his options.

“Every offseason, Ellen and I sit down and try to figure out the next year,” Kershaw said. “We’ve done that for the last few years, get through the season, figure out how everybody’s doing and kind of go from there. I’m sure we’ll do that again this offseason."

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How is Clayton Kershaw Doing This Season for the Dodgers?

Kershaw has been one of the bright spots of an otherwise bleak year for the Dodgers pitching roster between constant injuries and underwhelming performances. The southpaw boasts a 3.53 ERA across his 102 innings of work, adding 71 strikeouts to 30 walks.

Kershaw is coming off a 2024 seaosn in which he made just seven starts and threw 30 innings.

In terms of advanced stats, Kershaw is keeping up with the best of MLB's hurlers.

He ranks in the 95th percentile in limiting barrels against him, doing so just 4.1 percent of the time. He is also one of the best in baseball in terms of ground ball generation, doing so 48.9 percent of the time, good for the 80th percentile among mound men.

While Kershaw has proven he can continue to pitch at a high level, it remains to be seen if he wants to do it for another season next year.

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles. His focus is sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at DodgersNation and Newsweek. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and is a Masters Candidate at the University of Southern California. You can get in touch with Gabe by emailing gabe.smallson@lasportsreport.com. You can find him on X @gabesmallson