 = Clayton Kershaw = 
 
 Clayton Edward Kershaw ( born March 19 , 1988 ) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball ( MLB ) . A left @-@ handed starting pitcher , Kershaw has played in the major leagues since 2008 , and his career earned run average ( ERA ) and Walks and hits per innings pitched average ( WHIP ) are the lowest among starters in the live @-@ ball era with a minimum of 1 @,@ 000 innings pitched . With his Career Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings Pitched average ( 6 @.@ 64 ) Which is the second lowest in MLB History , a three @-@ time Cy Young Award winner , the 2014 National League Most Valuable Player and Los Angeles Dodgers All Time Leader in walks and hits per innings pitched ( 1 @.@ 01 ) and hits allowed per nine innings pitched ( 6 @.@ 64 ) , Kershaw is considered by many to be the best pitcher in MLB . 
 Kershaw was drafted seventh overall in the 2006 MLB draft . He worked his way through the Dodgers ' farm system in just one full season , and reached the majors at 20 years old . When he debuted in 2008 , he was the youngest player in MLB , a title he held for one full year . In 2011 , he won the pitching Triple Crown and the National League Cy Young Award , becoming the youngest pitcher to accomplish either of these feats since Dwight Gooden in 1985 . Kershaw pitched a no @-@ hitter on June 18 , 2014 , becoming the 22nd Dodger to do so . Being a left @-@ handed strikeout pitcher and playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Kershaw has often been compared to Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax . He became the first pitcher in history to lead MLB in ERA for four consecutive years when he did so in the 2011 through 2014 seasons . 
 Off the field , Kershaw is an active participant in volunteer work . He and his wife , Ellen , launched " Kershaw 's Challenge " and wrote the book Arise to raise money to build an orphanage in Zambia . He has been honored with the Roberto Clemente Award and the Branch Rickey Award for his humanitarian work . 
 
 = = Early life = = 
 
 Kershaw was born in Dallas , Texas on March 19 , 1988 . His parents divorced when he was 10 , and he was raised by his mother . He played in youth sports leagues as a child , including Little League Baseball . 
 Kershaw attended nearby Highland Park High School , where he played baseball and was also the center for quarterback Matthew Stafford on the football varsity . After a growth spurt and further development of his pitches , he established himself as an elite high school prospect in 2006 when he posted a 13 – 0 record with an earned run average ( ERA ) of 0 @.@ 77 , and recorded 139 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched . In a playoff game against Northwest High School of Justin , Texas , Kershaw pitched an all @-@ strikeout perfect game . He struck out all 15 batters he faced in the game , which was shortened because of the mercy rule . He also pitched for USA Baseball 's Junior National Team in the Pan Am Championship . Kershaw was selected by USA Today as " High School Baseball Player of the Year " , and was also the Gatorade National Player of the Year for baseball . 
 Entering the 2006 Major League Baseball ( MLB ) draft , Kershaw was considered the top high @-@ school pitcher available . The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Kershaw with the seventh overall pick in the draft . He had committed to Texas A & M University , but turned down the scholarship offer to sign with the Dodgers , with a bonus estimated at $ 2 @.@ 3 million . The bonus was the largest to any Dodgers draft pick at the time , and was eventually topped by Zach Lee in the 2010 draft . 
 
 = = Professional career = = 
 
 
 = = = Minor Leagues = = = 
 
 Kershaw began his career with the Gulf Coast League ( GCL ) Dodgers . He pitched in 37 innings in which he struck out 54 batters ( walking only 5 ) , while compiling a record of 2 – 0 with a 1 @.@ 95 ERA . He featured a fastball that topped out at 96 miles per hour ( 154 km / h ) and he was rated as the top prospect in the GCL , and the Dodgers ' second best prospect by Baseball America behind third baseman Andy LaRoche . 
 Kershaw was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons in 2007 , where he recorded a record of 7 – 5 with a 2 @.@ 77 ERA . He was selected to play on the East Team in the Midwest League All @-@ Star Game and on the USA team in the All @-@ Star Futures Game . On August 6 , he was promoted to the Double @-@ A Jacksonville Suns in the Southern League , where he produced a 1 – 2 record and 3 @.@ 65 ERA in five starts and was selected as the top prospect in the Dodgers organization heading into the 2008 season . 
 During spring training in a game against the Boston Red Sox , Kershaw gained much attention for throwing a curveball to Sean Casey that started behind Casey but at the end looped into the strike zone and struck him out looking . Kershaw was 0 – 3 and had a 2 @.@ 28 ERA with 47 strikeouts through 431 ⁄ 3 innings pitched in his first stint of the year with the Suns . He was then called up to the majors on May 28 , 2008 , but optioned back to Jacksonville on July 2 . 
 Kershaw pitched 18 innings during his second trip to Jacksonville ( two starts and one seven inning relief appearance ) , winning two games . During this stretch , he allowed only two runs earned runs , lowering his ERA to 1 @.@ 91 . He was recalled on July 22 . 
 
 = = = Los Angeles Dodgers = = = 
 
 
 = = = = 2008 – 2010 seasons : Early career = = = = 
 
 On May 24 , 2008 , the Dodgers bought Kershaw 's minor @-@ league contract , and he was added to the active roster . Sportswriter Tony Jackson called Kershaw 's debut the most anticipated start by a Dodgers pitcher since Hideo Nomo 's major league debut during the 1995 season . He made his debut on May 25 , starting against the St. Louis Cardinals . He struck out the first batter he faced , Skip Schumaker , the first of seven strikeouts in the game , in which he pitched six innings and allowed two runs . When he debuted , Kershaw was the youngest player in MLB , a title he held for one full year . 
 Kershaw won his first major league game against the Washington Nationals on July 27 , 2008 . He pitched six @-@ plus shutout innings , allowing four hits , a walk , and he struck out five . Kershaw finished his rookie season 5 – 5 , with a 4 @.@ 26 ERA in 22 games ( 21 starts ) . He also pitched two innings out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in the 2008 National League Championship Series ( NLCS ) against the Philadelphia Phillies . 
 On April 15 , 2009 , Kershaw pitched seven innings , striking out 13 batters while allowing only one hit ( a solo home run ) against the rival San Francisco Giants . He was the youngest Dodger to ever strikeout 13 or more batters in a game since Sandy Koufax did it in the 1955 season . On May 17 , 2009 , Kershaw did not allow a hit against the Florida Marlins through 7 innings , then gave up a lead @-@ off double to Florida 's Cody Ross . In 2009 , despite an 8 – 8 record , he led the major leagues in opposing batting average ( .200 ) , opposing slugging percentage ( .282 ) , and hits per nine innings ( 6 @.@ 26 ) . He also posted an ERA of 2 @.@ 79 and 185 strikeouts . Kershaw also walked 91 batters , which was second most in the National League ( NL ) . 
 Kershaw made his playoff starting debut against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2009 National League Division Series ( NLDS ) . He went 62 ⁄ 3 innings , striking out 4 , walking 1 , and ended up getting a no @-@ decision ( the Dodgers went on to win the game in the 9th inning ) . At 21 years old , he started the opener of the 2009 NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies and was the third youngest pitcher to ever start a playoff series opener , behind only Fernando Valenzuela in the 1981 NLDS and Rick Ankiel in the 2000 NLDS . 
 Kershaw started the 2010 season by posting a 3 @.@ 07 ERA in April , but did so by walking 22 batters in 29 innings . On May 4 , he had his worst start of his career against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium , throwing just 57 pitches in 11 ⁄ 3 innings , while retiring only four of the 13 batters he faced — including the pitcher . He was booed loudly upon being pulled from the game . Kershaw said after the game , " I didn 't give our team any kind of chance . It 's just not a good feeling to let your teammates down , let everybody down . It stings , it hurts . I 've got to figure things out . " 
 Kershaw rebounded his next start by pitching an 8 inning two @-@ hitter and out @-@ dueling the then undefeated Ubaldo Jiménez . He credited his control of the slider being the major turning point for him . Later in the season , he was suspended for five games after hitting Aaron Rowand of the Giants with a pitch in a game on July 20 . The incident occurred after both teams were given a warning following Giants ace Tim Lincecum hitting Matt Kemp earlier in the game . He threw his first career complete game shutout on September 14 , 2010 also against San Francisco and finished the season with a record of 13 – 10 and a 2 @.@ 91 ERA in 32 starts , pitching 2041 ⁄ 3 innings and recording 212 strikeouts . 
 
 = = = = 2011 season : 1st Cy Young Award = = = = 
 
 After finishing the 2010 season strong , the Dodgers named Kershaw as the Opening Day Starter for the 2011 season . On May 29 , he pitched the second complete @-@ game shutout of his career , striking out 10 while winning a two @-@ hitter against the Florida Marlins , 8 – 0 ; he also had two singles and an RBI , scoring twice in the game . He produced his third career shutout on June 20 , a two @-@ hit , 11 @-@ strikeout effort against the Detroit Tigers . Kershaw became the first Dodgers starter to strike out the side in the 9th inning since Sandy Koufax 's perfect game . In his next start , on June 26 , Kershaw pitched another complete game ( against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ) . He became the first Dodger starter to have back @-@ to @-@ back complete game victories since Jeff Weaver in the 2005 season and the first Dodger to have double @-@ digit strikeouts in consecutive starts since Chan @-@ Ho Park in the 2000 season . He was awarded the National League Player of the Week award for the week of June 20 – 26 as a result of those two starts . Midway through June , Kershaw had amassed 32 career victories , a 3 @.@ 15 ERA and 593 career strikeouts in 568 @.@ 2 innings . According to the Elias Sports Bureau , Kershaw was the first 23 @-@ year @-@ old pitcher to have that many victories , an ERA that low and an average of more than one strikeout per inning since ERA became an official statistic in 1910 . 
 Kershaw was selected to the National League team for the 2011 Major League Baseball All @-@ Star Game , his first All @-@ Star selection . In the month of July , Kershaw was 4 – 1 with a 2 @.@ 02 ERA and NL @-@ leading 45 strikeouts , earning him the National League Pitcher of the Month Award . On August 23 , he struck out Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals for his 200th strikeout of the season and became the 10th Dodger pitcher to record back @-@ to @-@ back 200 strikeout seasons and the first since Chan @-@ Ho Park did it in the 2001 season . 
 Kershaw finished the 2011 season by leading the NL with 21 wins , 248 strikeouts and a 2 @.@ 28 ERA , winning the NL pitching Triple Crown , the first Triple Crown winner since Jake Peavy of the 2007 San Diego Padres and the first Dodger since Sandy Koufax won it in the 1966 season . Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers won the American League Triple Crown the same season , marking the first major @-@ league season since 1924 to feature Triple Crown @-@ winning pitchers in both leagues . Kershaw 's 21 wins were the most by a Dodger pitcher since Orel Hershiser won 23 during the 1988 season . His ERA was the lowest by a Dodger since Hershiser 's 2 @.@ 03 in the 1985 season , his strikeouts were the most by a Dodger since Koufax 's 317 in 1966 and his 233 1 ⁄ 3 innings pitched were the most since Chan Ho Park pitched 234 in 2001 . Since 1965 when Koufax did it , Peavy and Kershaw are only two pitchers in the National League have led the league in wins , strikeouts , ERA , and WHIP ( walks plus hits per inning pitched ) . Kershaw also became just the second lefthander to have a 240 @-@ plus strikeouts in a season before the age of 24 , joining Vida Blue . 
 After the season , Kershaw was awarded the Warren Spahn Award as the best left @-@ handed pitcher in 2011 , the Players Choice Award for Most Outstanding National League pitcher , the Gold Glove Award as the top fielding pitcher in the NL and the Sporting News ( TSN ) National League Pitcher of the Year . He was additionally selected as the starting pitcher for the TSN NL All @-@ Star Team . On November 17 , he was honored with the National League Cy Young Award , making him the youngest Cy Young winner since Dwight Gooden of the 1985 New York Mets . He was the 8th Dodger pitcher to win the award , the first since Éric Gagné in the 2003 season . 
 
 = = = = 2012 season : Cy Young runner @-@ up = = = = 
 
 On February 7 , 2012 , Kershaw and the Dodgers agreed on a two @-@ year , $ 19 million contract . The contract was the second highest for a player in his first year of arbitration ( after Tim Lincecum 's $ 23 million 2 @-@ year contract in 2010 ) . 
 Kershaw was the Dodgers ' Opening Day starter for the second year in a row , where he pitched three innings of shutout ball against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park before being removed from the game due to flu @-@ like symptoms . On April 27 , he was able to last through eight innings for his second win of the season against the Washington Nationals . The win was also his 12th straight home win , tying him with Ed Roebuck ( June 1960 – August 1962 ) and Orel Hershiser ( September 1984 – October 1985 ) for the longest home winning streak since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles . Kershaw won the National League 's Player of the Week Award for the week of May 14 – 20 after he made two starts during that week and pitched 16 scoreless innings , including his fourth career shutout . Kershaw was selected to appear in the 2012 Major League Baseball All @-@ Star Game , the second straight year he made the team . On August 11 , he went over 200 innings on the season , becoming the 12th Los Angeles Dodger pitcher with three or more seasons of 200 or more innings , and the first since Hershiser did it five times from 1985 to 1989 . Kershaw also became just the fifth Dodger pitcher with three straight 200 strikeout seasons . 
 Kershaw finished 2012 with a 14 – 9 record , a 2 @.@ 53 ERA ( leading the league ) , 229 strikeouts , and 2272 ⁄ 3 innings pitched , coming second in both categories . He became the first pitcher to lead the league in ERA in consecutive seasons since Arizona 's Randy Johnson in 2001 – 02 . This was also marked his fourth year in a row with a sub @-@ 3 @.@ 00 ERA , making him the first to do this since Randy Johnson from 1999 – 2002 . He finished second for the NL Cy Young behind R. A. Dickey , receiving two first place votes . 
 
 = = = = 2013 season : 2nd Cy Young Award = = = = 
 
 Kershaw made his third straight opening day start for the Dodgers in the 2013 season , the first Dodger starter to do so since Derek Lowe ( 2005 – 2007 ) . In that opening day start he pitched a complete game , four hit , shutout over the Giants and also hit his first career home run . He was the first pitcher to throw a shutout and hit a home run on opening day since Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians did so against the Chicago White Sox on April 14 , 1953 . Kershaw picked up his 1,000th career strikeout on April 17 , 2013 , when he struck out Yonder Alonso of the Padres . He was the second youngest Dodger to reach that mark , behind only Fernando Valenzuela . On May 14 , Kershaw passed the 1 @,@ 000 inning mark for his career . His ERA of 2 @.@ 70 at the time was the fifth best of the live @-@ ball era at the 1 @,@ 000 inning mark and the best career mark . He also threw 130 pitches that day , the most of his career and the most by a Dodger pitcher since Odalis Pérez in the 2003 season . 
 Kershaw was selected to the 2013 Major League Baseball All @-@ Star Game , his third straight selection . In July , he compiled a 4 – 1 record and 1 @.@ 34 ERA in six starts and was awarded his second National League Pitcher of the Month Award . On September 2 , Kershaw picked up his 200th strikeout of 2013 , joining Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale as the only starters in Dodgers history with at least 4 consecutive seasons of more than 200 strikeouts . 
 Kershaw finished the season with a 16 @-@ 9 record , 236 innings pitched ( a career high ) , and a Major League best 1 @.@ 83 ERA and 0 @.@ 92 WHIP . He was the third player in history to lead the Majors in ERA three years in a row , joining Greg Maddux ( 1993 – 95 ) and Lefty Grove ( 1929 – 31 ) . His ERA was the first sub @-@ 2 @.@ 00 ERA since Roger Clemens did it in the 2005 season and the lowest overall since Pedro Martínez in the 2000 season . He was only the third Dodger pitcher to have an ERA under 3 @.@ 00 in five consecutive seasons ( Koufax and Nap Rucker ) . 
 Kershaw struck out 12 batters in seven innings in the first game of the 2013 National League Division Series . That was the third most strikeouts by a Dodger pitcher in the playoffs , behind only Koufax ( 15 in the 1963 World Series ) and Carl Erskine ( 14 in the 1953 World Series ) . His six straight strikeouts in the game tied a MLB postseason record set by Tim Belcher in the second game of the 1988 World Series . He picked up his first career postseason victory in that game . 
 Kershaw won the Warren Spahn Award for 2013 , the second time he had won the award , which honors the best left @-@ handed pitcher in the Major Leagues . He was also selected to the Sporting News NL All @-@ Star team , the fourth Dodger pitcher to be named to the team twice ( after Koufax , Valenzuela and Don Newcombe ) . On November 13 , he won the NL Cy Young Award for the second time in three seasons . He became just the sixth pitcher in history to finish in the top two in voting three seasons in a row . 
 After the season , Kershaw and the Dodgers agreed on a seven @-@ year , $ 215 million , contract extension . The deal was the richest in MLB history for a pitcher , eclipsing the seven @-@ year , $ 180 million , contract signed by Justin Verlander the previous year . The average annual value of $ 30 @.@ 7 million was also the largest ever for a baseball player , beating the $ 28 million Roger Clemens received in 2007 and the 10 @-@ year , $ 275 million contract that Alex Rodriguez signed that same year . 
 
 = = = = 2014 season : MVP and 3rd Cy Young Award = = = = 
 
 Kershaw made his fourth straight opening day start for the Dodgers in 2014 , only the fourth Dodger ever to do so . This season the game was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia . Before his second start , Kershaw felt some pain in his back and was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career . He did not rejoin the Dodgers until early May . On June 18 , he pitched a complete game no @-@ hitter against the Colorado Rockies and struck out a career @-@ high 15 batters . The only batter to reach base was due to an error in the top of the seventh inning , costing Kershaw a perfect game . He is the only pitcher in MLB history with 15 strikeouts in a game while allowing no hits and no walks . Kershaw was 6 @-@ 0 with an 0 @.@ 82 ERA in June and was awarded with his third career Pitcher of the Month award . He was selected to the National League squad at the 2014 Major League Baseball All @-@ Star Game , his fourth straight selection . He was the sixth Dodger pitcher , and the first since Fernando Valenzuela to make the All @-@ Star team four years in a row . 
 Kershaw had a 41 inning scoreless inning streak that ended in the top of the sixth inning on July 10 when , with two outs , Chase Headley homered to left field at Dodger Stadium . Kershaw 's streak was , at the time , tied for the fifteenth longest scoreless inning streak in MLB history . He won the pitcher of the month award again in July , the third Dodger ( along with Don Sutton and Burt Hooton ) to win it two months in a row . He was 4 – 0 with a 1 @.@ 10 ERA in the month with 48 strikeouts and only 10 walks . He picked up his 200th strikeout of the season on September 2 , the fifth year in a row he had reached that number , trailing only the six seasons in a row for Sandy Koufax among Dodger starters . He also became just the fourth pitcher since 1893 to have at least five 200 @-@ strikeout seasons through an age @-@ 26 season ( Bert Blyleven , Walter Johnson and Sam McDowell are the others ) . 
 Kershaw finished the season 21 – 3 with a 1 @.@ 77 ERA in 27 starts . He led the National League in numerous categories once again , such as ERA , ERA + , Wins , Win % , WHIP , IP / GS , SO / 9 , Strikeout @-@ to @-@ walk ratio , complete games , FIP , and Wins Above Replacement for both pitchers and all NL players . He also finished third in strikeouts despite missing most of the first month of the season . He was the first pitcher in history to win four consecutive ERA titles . Many experts called his 2014 season one of the best pitching seasons in recent memory . 
 However , in his first start of the playoffs , in Game 1 of the Division Series against the Cardinals , Kershaw became the first pitcher in history to strike out 10 while allowing eight runs . He had cruised through the first six innings while allowing only two hits ( both solo homers ) and surrendered six runs in the seventh . He did tie Koufax for the only Dodgers pitchers with multiple double digit strikeout games in the playoffs . He was also the first pitcher in history to give up at least seven runs in back @-@ to @-@ back postseason starts ( his previous one was Game 6 of the 2013 National League Championship Series ) . Pitching on short rest in Game 4 , he would again be dominant , but again would take the loss after giving up a 3 @-@ run home run to Matt Adams in the 7th inning . It was the first home run Kershaw had allowed in his career to a left @-@ handed batter off his curveball . 
 Kershaw was honored after the season with player of the year awards from both The Sporting News and Baseball America . He won three awards at the Players Choice Awards including Outstanding NL Pitcher , Player of the Year and the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award . He also won his third ( and second straight ) Warren Spahn Award . On November 12 , he was awarded his third Cy Young Award in four seasons ( a unanimous vote ) . The following day , he was elected as the NL MVP , the first National League pitcher to win the award since Bob Gibson in 1968 and the first Dodgers player to win the award since Kirk Gibson in 1988 . 
 
 = = = = 2015 season : 300 @-@ strikeout season = = = = 
 
 Kershaw made his fifth straight opening day start in 2015 , the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Hall of Famer Don Sutton started seven in a row from 1972 through 1978 . He recorded his 1,500th career strikeout on May 10 when he fanned Drew Stubbs of the Colorado Rockies . Kershaw picked up his 100th career win on May 15 against the Rockies . He became the 22nd pitcher in franchise history and the second youngest active pitcher to reach that mark . Kershaw won his sixth career NL player of the week award for the week of June 1 – 7 , 2015 , when he allowed only two runs on 10 baserunners in 15 innings while striking out 18 in two starts that week . Kershaw did not make the initial NL roster for the 2015 All @-@ Star Game , though he was included on the Final Vote ballot , which he lost to Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez . However , he was added to the roster to replace Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer , who was unavailable due to pitching the Sunday before the game . It became his fifth straight all @-@ star selection , joining Sandy Koufax and Fernando Valenzuela as the only Dodgers pitchers to accomplish that feat . Kershaw struck out a season high 14 batters in eight shutout innings on July 18 against the Washington Nationals . He became the first Dodgers starter with back @-@ to @-@ back games of at least 13 strikeouts since Chan Ho Park in 2000 and the first Dodgers pitcher with back @-@ to @-@ back games of double @-@ digit strikeouts and no walks since Dazzy Vance in 1930 . He shared the NL player of the week honors with his teammate Zack Greinke for the week of July 13 – 19 and won NL pitcher of the month for July . 
 Kershaw picked up his 200th strikeout of the season on August 12 , tying Hideo Nomo 's 1995 season for the fastest to that mark in Dodgers history at 156 innings . This was the sixth straight 200 strikeout season for Kershaw , tying Sandy Koufax for the most in Dodgers franchise history . On October 4 , Kershaw became the 11th player in Major League history to strike out 300 batters in a season , the first player since Randy Johnson did it in 2002 . He finished the season with a 16 – 7 record , a 2 @.@ 13 ERA , and 301 strikeouts in 232 2 ⁄ 3 innings . 
 In Game One of the 2015 National League Division Series , Kershaw struck out 11 in 6 2 ⁄ 3 innings but allowed three runs for his fifth straight postseason loss . He and New York Mets starter Jacob deGrom were the first pair of starters to each throw at least 11 strikeouts in the same postseason game in MLB history . He rebounded in game four , earning the win on three days ' rest by allowing one run and three hits against eight strikeouts in seven innings on October 13 . Kershaw finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting , behind Jake Arrieta and teammate Zack Greinke . In mid @-@ December 2015 , Kershaw participated in an expedition to Cuba composed of MLB officials and players , including former Dodgers manager Joe Torre . It was the first visit by MLB since 1999 , and one anticipated as an important step to help normalize relations with the United States that had begun to ease earlier in the year . 
 
 = = = = 2016 = = = = 
 
 Kershaw made his sixth straight opening day start in 2016 as the Dodgers won 15 – 0 . It also marked the first time the Dodgers had won six straight opening day games , all of which he started . On May 12 against the New York Mets , he struck out 13 while pitching a three @-@ hit complete game shutout . He set an MLB record with six consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts and no more than one walk and a club record with six consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts . He picked up his 100th strikeout on May 29 , while only walking five batters within that period . That was the lowest walk total for a pitcher reaching 100 strikeouts in the modern era , beating Cliff Lee who had seven walks in the 2010 season . On June 30 , 2016 , Kershaw was placed on the 15 @-@ day disabled list due to back pain . He received an MRI , which revealed that there was a mild herniated disc in the back , and received an epidural injection to treat the pain . He was named to the 2016 All @-@ Star team but was unable to pitch in the game due to his injury . On July 20 , the Dodgers shut down Kershaw for an indefinite period of time . He continued to feel discomfort in his back after a simulated game . 
 
 = = Pitching style = = 
 
 Kershaw 's pitching style relies on deception . He keeps the ball hidden so that it is hard for the batter to pick up the ball and has a consistent overhand delivery on all of his pitches . Out of the windup , Kershaw lowers his right foot vertically with a slight pause before moving it forward toward the plate . The motion was described during the 2015 National League Division Series as a " kickstand move " drawing comparison with one setting a kickstand on a bicycle . Out of the stretch , he uses a slide step as it makes it difficult for the base runner at first base to get a read on him . He has stated many times that he has modeled his pitching mechanics after his favorite pitcher growing up , Roger Clemens . 
 Kershaw 's repertoire includes a four @-@ seam fastball that sits anywhere from 92 miles per hour ( 148 km / h ) to 95 miles per hour ( 153 km / h ) and tops out at 98 miles per hour ( 158 km / h ) with late movement , a slider at 84 miles per hour ( 135 km / h ) – 87 miles per hour ( 140 km / h ) , a 12 – 6 curveball between 72 miles per hour ( 116 km / h ) – 76 miles per hour ( 122 km / h ) , and a seldom thrown changeup ( under 3 % ) . As of late in the 2015 season , he is believed to be experimenting with the use of a cutter . He is also known for having one of the better pickoff moves to first base and is considered one of the better fielding pitchers in the game . 
 
 = = = Preparation = = = 
 
 According to many teammates , Kershaw is a noted perfectionist . A.J. Ellis describes his preparation and perfectionism during bullpens before each start : 
 Three fastballs when I 'm standing up . I sit , and three fastballs down the middle . Then three fastballs either side . Three changeups away . Fastball inside . Three curveballs to the middle . Fastball inside . Three sliders to the middle . Then he goes to the stretch position . Two fastballs inside , two fastballs away , two changeups , one fastball inside , two curveballs , one fastball inside , two sliders . Back to the windup , and one fastball inside , one fastball away . Thirty @-@ four pitches in all . 
 
 = = Awards and accomplishments = = 
 
 
 = = = Awards = = = 
 
 
 = = = Annual statistical achievements = = = 
 
 Notes : Through 2015 season . Per Baseball @-@ Reference.com. 
 
 = = Personal life = = 
 
 Kershaw grew up in Dallas , Texas and attended school with quarterback Matthew Stafford and fellow pitchers Jordan Walden and Shawn Tolleson . One of his favorite players growing up was former Texas Rangers first baseman Will Clark , and the main reason he wears number 22 is to honor Clark . 
 He is the great @-@ nephew of astronomer Clyde Tombaugh , the discoverer of Pluto . Kershaw 's mother , born Marianne Tombaugh , is the daughter of Clyde Tombaugh 's younger brother . His father , Christopher George Kershaw , was a musician and won a Clio Award for his work . The elder Kershaw remarried after his divorce from Marianne and died in 2013 . 
 On December 4 , 2010 , Kershaw married his girlfriend of seven years , Ellen Melson . On January 23 , 2015 , Ellen gave birth to the couple 's first child , daughter Cali Ann . He is a Methodist with strong religious faith . 
 Kershaw made a cameo appearance in " Prince " , a Season 3 episode of New Girl which originally aired following FOX 's telecast of Super Bowl XLVIII . 
 
 = = = Humanitarian work = = = 
 
 Prior to the 2011 season , Kershaw visited Zambia with his wife as part of a Christian mission organized by Dallas @-@ based Arise Africa . After the trip , Kershaw announced his dream of building an orphanage in Lusaka , Zambia , which he called " Hope 's Home " after 11 @-@ year @-@ old Hope , an HIV @-@ positive child Kershaw met while in Zambia . To accomplish his goal , Kershaw pledged a donation of $ 100 per strikeout recorded in 2011 . With Kershaw 's career high of 248 strikeouts thrown during the 2011 season , he donated $ 492 @,@ 300 toward his $ 70 @,@ 000 goal . When Kershaw won the 2011 Players Choice Award , he donated $ 260 @,@ 000 to Hope 's Home . He and his wife returned to Zambia in 2012 . Kershaw donated $ 100 for every strikeout in the 2012 season to Kershaw 's Challenge , calling that season 's incarnation of the project " Strike Out To Serve . " Seventy percent of the money raised in 2012 went to Arise Africa , with 10 percent each going to the Peacock Foundation in Los Angeles , Mercy Street in Dallas , and I Am Second . In 2014 , Kershaw continued to support the children of Zambia , with partnership with CURE International , raising funds to pay for 170 children 's surgeries and new medical equipment for CURE hospital in Lusaka . Kershaw has continued his partnership with CURE International in 2015 , setting a goal of funding 100 surgeries for CURE 's hospital in the Dominican Republic . 
 In addition to Hope 's Home and Kershaw 's Challenge , he has also helped with other programs in Los Angeles , such as helping Habitat for Humanity demolish and rehabilitate a house in Lynwood , California . He is also a supporter of the Peacock Foundation , which provides animal @-@ assisted interventions and activities for at risk youth by partnering with mental health practitioners , public service agencies and community organizations . 
 
 = = = Author = = = 
 
 Kershaw and his wife , Ellen , co @-@ authored a book named Arise : Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field You Find Yourself about their Christian faith and their humanitarian efforts . The book was released on January 10 , 2012 through Regal Press . 
 
 = = = Endorsements = = = 
 
 Kershaw is a celebrity endorser for www.FantasyDraft.com , Wilson Sporting Goods ( glove ) , Under Armour ( shoes ) , Muscle Milk , and Subway . 
 
 