Clayton Kershaw 2023 MLB futures odds, props: Dodgers lefty longshot to reach 3000 career strikeouts this season, in mix for NL Cy Young Award
Will Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw get to 3,000 strikeouts this season?
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There haven't been any major MLB individual milestones achieved yet this regular season, such as a 3,000th hit (which Miguel Cabrera tallied in 2022) or 500th home run, but Los Angeles Dodgers lefty pitcher Clayton Kershaw may become the 20th member of the 3,000-strikeout club in 2023 if he can stay healthy. DraftKings has a prop on whether the future Hall of Famer does it this year, with No at -200 and Yes at +160.
The 35-year-old Kershaw, who is on a one-year contract with the Dodgers and has at least contemplated retirement, is having a typically great year. He's 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA (first in NL), 1.05 WHIP (T1 in NL) and 105 strikeouts in 95.1 innings. Kershaw could win his fourth Cy Young Award, as he's a +400 third favorite at DK behind Arizona's Zac Gallen (+200) and Atlanta's Spencer Strider (+300).
I can't say I'll be betting on Kershaw to win another Cy Young -- he's had such trouble staying healthy in recent years and missed the All-Star Game on the injured list. Kershaw's 10th All-Star selection tied him with Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese for the most in Dodger franchise history. Among pitchers, only Warren Spahn (14 All-Star teams), Mariano Rivera (13), Tom Seaver (12) and Roger Clemens (11) have received more invitations to the Midsummer Classic than Kershaw.
It's not clear if the southpaw will be ready right out of the break. Kershaw has been dealing with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, and if he were to need major surgery at this point in his career, it likely would be finished -- shoulders are particularly tricky for pitchers. He hasn't thrown at least 200 innings since 2015.
The Dallas native has 2,912 regular-season strikeouts and thus would need 88 to reach 3,000. Kershaw is averaging 6.6 Ks per game this year, which means he would need slightly more than 13 starts to reach the number if he maintains his current strikeout average.
The Dodgers have 73 regular-season games left, and if Kershaw pitched every fifth game he would make roughly 15 starts – but that's only if he's ready immediately out of the break and doesn't go back on the IL. Manger Dave Roberts has already announced that Julio Urias will start in the first game out of the break on Friday at Citi Field against the Mets.
There is another pitcher much more likely to reach 3,000 strikeouts this season, and it's another former Cy Young winner and one of Kershaw's former Dodgers teammates: Kansas City's Zack Greinke, who has 2,946 strikeouts and thus is 20th on the all-time list with Kershaw 21st. Neither will catch No. 19 John Smoltz (3,084) this year.
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