"I think that narrative is so off base. You look at Kersh and the great starts he's had in October, how much he's come back on short rest, how much he got left out longer than he should have because bullpens weren't as good as what people felt like he would do, and left out there longer than you should have. You never heard one peep about it from him. I think so much of that has clouded the overall body of work that, when we had big games and he was rested, there was nobody we'd rather have on the mound than Kershaw."
"Especially when you look back at the circumstances of some of the things that happened, whether it's the 240 innings or pitching on very short rest multiple times in a postseason and never running from that, that responsibility as the ace. With that, you've got to take on a lot of scrutiny or potential failures. Everything wasn't optimal for him."
Clayton Kershaw has pitched 18 seasons with three Cy Young awards, an MVP, five ERA titles, and numerous accolades. His career regular‑season ERA is 2.54 across 453 games, contrasted with a 4.49 postseason ERA across 39 appearances that attracts criticism. Many strong October starts, repeated short‑rest outings, and occasions where he was left in longer due to bullpen limitations complicate postseason evaluation. Kershaw repeatedly accepted ace responsibilities and heavy workloads without complaint. Team assessment emphasizes his value when rested and in big games. The remaining objective before retirement is securing a third World Series ring.
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