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The Dodgers drafted 18-year old Clayton Kershaw with the 7th pick in the 2006 draft. Two years later the lefty made his Major League debut. By the time he was 23, Kershaw was on his way to his first All Star season.

In the collection is the official document from Major League Baseball that Kershaw signed to collect the first of his 8 All Star rings. The 2011 season was a magical one for the Dodger who earned pitching’s Triple Crown with 21 wins, 2.28 ERA, and 248 strikeouts. By season’s end he earned the first of his three Cy Young Awards.

During his 7-year run from 2011-2017, Kershaw was quite simply the best pitcher in the game. Each year he was in the top 5 in Cy Young balloting, winning it three times and finishing second twice more. His 2014 season was one for the ages – he went 21-3 with a 1.77 earned run average to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

Many believe he will be a first-ballot selection for Cooperstown.

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The Dodgers are the most pitching-rich franchise in baseball history. The team boasts a major league record 12 Cy Youngs and routinely churns out top-flight hurlers.

A glance at the Dodger all-time leaderboard shows Clayton Kershaw atop the franchise leaderboard in pitcher’s WAR. He snatched Don Sutton’s career Dodger strikeout record in April of 2022. Kershaw’s 210 wins with the team is surpassed only Sutton’s 233.

Sutton pitched for the Dodgers from 1966 until 1980 when he left for Houston via free-agency. He later pitched for Milwaukee, Oakland, and the Angels before returning to Los Angeles his final season of 1988.

Shown here is a handwritten letter from Sutton. It reads, “Although I played for a few teams, I’m very proud it’s a Dodger cap in Cooperstown.