The Los Angeles Dodgers have made the surprising decision to start Clayton Kershaw on opening day. Just kidding. It’s one of the easiest no-brainers in all of baseball.
Record-tying start for Dodgers’ Kershaw
#Kershaw will take the mound to start a game on opening day for the #Dodgers for the seventh consecutive season. Don Drysdale and Don Sutton are the only other pitchers in franchise history to do it seven straight years. If Kershaw stays healthy to start this season and can do it again in 2018, he’ll set a new team mark that won’t be broken for a long time, if ever.
The Dodgers have to be thrilled that Kershaw will take the mound for the opener, as he’s posted an ERA under 1.00 in his last six opening day games. He’s picked up four wins in those openers and the Dodgers haven’t lost any of the six games.
Kershaw was rolling last season, well on his way to a fourth Cy Young Award, before a herniated disk in his back led to him missing more than two months of action. He was able to return late in the season with up-and-down results.
Kershaw tops fantasy baseball pitchers list
A healthy Kershaw is borderline unhittable. Even with the injury a season ago, he still finished the year with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of a ridiculous 0.72. Those numbers are a fantasy baseball player’s dream and he’ll come off the board super quick in every league.
Opinions will vary, but the thought process right here is he’s the best pitcher in the game today. He should be the first pitcher to come off the board in all #fantasy baseball drafts and his numbers should be unreal yet again in 2017.
Clayton Kershaw opening day starter? Water is wet.
— LA Dodgers HQ (@LADodgersHQ) February 18, 2017
Kershaw also indicated he wants to make all of his starts this season.
If he can stay healthy, that’s a scary thought for opponents and the Dodgers have to be confident they are getting a win every fifth game when he’s on the mound.
In his nine seasons with the Dodgers, Kershaw has a 126-60 record with 1,918 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.37. His career WHIP is 1.01. He’ll easily pass the 2,000 strikeout mark this season and is well on pace to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Now, he just needs to stay healthy.
