Kershaw Retires After Dodgers' Game 7 Win

Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement after an 18-season, Hall of Fame-caliber career and capped it by winning his third World Series as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in a dramatic Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. Kershaw spent the decisive game in the bullpen—warming up and initially unaware the game had ended on a game-ending double play—before celebrating as Yoshinobu Yamamoto closed the final innings and earned Series MVP. Earlier in the series Kershaw recorded a pivotal out in the 12th inning of Game 3 with the bases loaded. Dodgers president Andrew Friedman has left the door open for Kershaw to remain with the organization in a non-playing role, but Kershaw said he plans to prioritize family—preparing for a fifth child—and does not expect to take a full-time job right away. He retires with an elite résumé: three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, 11 All-Star selections, five ERA titles and over 3,000 career strikeouts, leaving as one of the game's all-time great pitchers.