By Matthew Michaels
Sandy Koukax’s stretch of greatness from 1961 to his sudden retirement in 1966 is the pinnacle of pitching, but another Los Angeles Dodgers hurler may have other ideas.
Clayton Kershaw won the Cy Young Award in 2011 and 2013 while finishing his second in the year in-between. His span of dominance over National League hitters earned him a $215 million contract in the last offseason. That seven year deal may end up being a bargain for the Dodgers.
Following a three year stretch of supremacy, Kershaw is better than ever. He pitched a very good game in the season opener in March but was subsequently injured for the entirety of April. When he returned in May, he was shaky and earned two wins and two losses in the month. He turned it around quickly, and his excellence was on display June 18 against the Rockies. He faced 28 batters, and the only one to reach base did so on an error. His near-perfect game featured 15 strikeouts and is already considered one of the greatest games ever pitched.
On July 4, Kershaw lowered his ERA to 1.85 and has remained under two since. He has won 17 out of his last 18 decisions. His start on September 19 was the worst in a while, as his ERA increased to a still incredible 1.80. Even though won-loss record is not a great indicator of how good a pitcher is, his 20-3 mark is eye-opening. Extraordinarily, he is allowing fewer base runners while striking out more batters. His walks plus hits per inning this season currently sits in 18th all-time and his strikeout to walk ratio is 21st.
Somehow, Kershaw keeps getting better. At 26, he may just be entering his prime. As the Dodgers get ready for the playoffs, Kershaw can pad his resume for his MVP candidacy. Pitchers should not usually win the MVP award but this is a rare exception; with no clear winner, Kershaw can legitimately be considered the best player in the league. The one knock against him is his shorter body of work. Assuming he starts one more game this year, his 27 games pitched would be the fewest in an MVP season. He has more than made up for missed time though so he should be the winner.
Discussions have compared this amazing 2014 pitching season with Pedro Martinez in 1999, Ron Guidry in 1978 and some other of the greatest single seasons of pitching in recent memory. His dominant multiple-year run compares with those of Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson and, yes, Sandy Koufax.
The two lefties have more in common than being stellar arms for the Dodgers. Even though Kershaw was better at a younger age, Koufax also built up a dominant reputation in his mid-20s. Like the 1960s era during which Koufax pitched, the Major League environment is becoming focused more on pitching. By the time Koufax retired, the pendulum had swung all the way to favor pitching and 2014 has seen the lowest offensive production in decades.
When all is said and done, Kershaw will join Koufax in the Hall of Fame. He is closing in on 1,500 strikeouts and his peripheral numbers are fantastic. If he keeps improving, or at least has another couple of seasons at this caliber, he can surpass Koufax in historical legacy. Meanwhile, he needs to continue to pitch well so he can catch up to Koufax’s four championship wins.
