A couple of months ago, I read a report online and it indicated that a few years ago, Clayton Kershaw had some troubles in some games in the first half of the season, he made some adjustments in the midseason and had a great second half season.
After reading that report, I was quite curious to explore more and went to check on the great baseball reference website. And, I found some data about Kershaw’s half season performance.
Kershaw’s MLB debut was on May 25, 2008. He made 8 starts in the first half of the 2008 season, however, he didn’t record any wins. He got his first career win on July 27, 2008. His ERA was over 4 in each half of the 2008 season.
In 2009, Kershaw had an ERA of 3.16 in the first half of the season and his ERA was under 3 after the All-Star break. However, there wasn’t a huge difference in the opponents’ batting average.
In 2010, Kershaw’s ERA was under 3 in each half of the season. It was Kershaw’s first season to record 10+ wins.
In 2011, Kershaw’s ERA was slightly over 3 in the first half of the season. However, he had a great second half season with a 1.31 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP in 102.2 innings. In total, he earned 21 wins and won the first Cy Young award of his career.
After winning the first Cy Young award, Kershaw truly shows that he’s one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors. In 2012, he tossed 100+ innings in each half of the season. In the second half of the 2012, his WHIP was under 1 and batting average against Kershaw was under .200.
In 2013, Kershaw won 8 games in each half of the season. He posted an ERA under 2 and his WHIP was under 1. Those numbers just again showed how great Kershaw was in 2013. And, he won his second Cy Young award.
The Dodgers traveled to Sydney to open the 2014 season. However, things were a bit different this season. Kershaw missed some playing time due to injury. But, his dominance didn’t change. In the first half of the season, he tossed 96.1 innings and posted a 1.78 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP. After the All-Star break, he owned a 1.76 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP in 102 innings. He not only won the NL Cy Young award, but also won the NL MVP award.
In 2015, Kershaw earned 6 wins and took 6 losses before the All-Star break. Nonetheless, his ERA was under 3 again. After the All-Star break, he was just outstanding. He posted a 1.31 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP in 109.2 innings. This season, Kershaw threw 301 strikeouts.
Kershaw was dominant again in the first half of the 2016 season. He owned a 1.79 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP over 121 innings. Nevertheless, due to injury, he only made 5 starts after the All-Star break.
In 2017, Kershaw had a 2.18 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP in 132.1 innings before the All-Star break. He became an All-Star again. But, he missed some playing again because of back strain. Kershaw only tossed 42.2 innings after the All-Star break, his ERA was a great 2.74, nonetheless, batting average against him rose to .263.
Fastball velocity drop caused concern in 2018 and he also missed some playing because of injuries. Nevertheless, Kershaw again demonstrated how great he was. He finished the season with an ERA under 3 again.
In 2019, Kershaw tossed 99 innings in the first half of the season, posting a 3.09 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He was selected to the All-Star game again. After the All-Star break, Kershaw’s performance was even better. He had a 2.95 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.
The 2020 season was a shortened season. So, let’s just move to the 2021 season. Last year, Kershaw threw 106.1 innings before the All-Star break. His ERA was over 3, but he had a WHIP under 1. Nevertheless, injury became a problem again. He only tossed 15.1 innings and had an ERA over 4 in the second half of the 2021 season. When we take a look at Kershaw’s performance in each half of the season. Most of the time, his ERA and WHIP are lower in the second half of the season. In particular, in 2011 and 2015, he each tossed 100+ innings and posted a 1.31 ERA in the second half of the season. These might be the two best half seasons in his legendary career. Nonetheless, due to injuries, he didn’t contribute much after the All-Star break in 2021. This season, he now has a 2.13 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in 71.2 innings. After the Midsummer Classic, let’s see what Kershaw will achieve in the second half of the 2022 season.
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