Two Dodger Southpaws, One Impossible Argument: Koufax vs. Kershaw

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Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Jake Cain

Two southpaw superstars, Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw, have carved their names into the annals of baseball history wearing the iconic Dodger blue. Koufax, known as “the Left Arm of God,” dazzled in the 1960s with a blazing fastball and knee-buckling curve. Kershaw, a modern maestro on the mound, has etched his dominance into the 21st century with unparalleled precision and a devastating slider. Let’s delve into a comparison of their illustrious careers and impacts on the game.

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A Tale of Two Pitchers

Koufax, whose career spanned from 1955 to 1966, turned from a wild prospect to a pitcher of the decade with three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, and a slew of World Series titles. Kershaw, still active in the game, mirrors this dominance with three Cy Young Awards of his own, and an MVP award, firmly positioning himself as one of the game’s greats.

Koufax By The Numbers

Standard Pitching
Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	Awards
1955	19	BRO	NL	2	2	.500	3.02	12	5	4	2	2	0	41.2	33	15	14	2	28	1	30	1	1	2	183	136	3.64	1.464	7.1	0.4	6.0	6.5	1.07
1956	20	BRO	NL	2	4	.333	4.91	16	10	1	0	0	0	58.2	66	37	32	10	29	0	30	0	2	1	261	82	5.05	1.619	10.1	1.5	4.4	4.6	1.03
1957	21	BRO	NL	5	4	.556	3.88	34	13	12	2	0	0	104.1	83	49	45	14	51	1	122	2	0	5	444	106	3.39	1.284	7.2	1.2	4.4	10.5	2.39
1958	22	LAD	NL	11	11	.500	4.48	40	26	7	5	0	1	158.2	132	89	79	19	105	6	131	1	0	17	714	93	4.38	1.494	7.5	1.1	6.0	7.4	1.25
1959	23	LAD	NL	8	6	.571	4.05	35	23	6	6	1	2	153.1	136	74	69	23	92	4	173	0	1	5	679	105	4.04	1.487	8.0	1.4	5.4	10.2	1.88
1960	24	LAD	NL	8	13	.381	3.91	37	26	7	7	2	1	175.0	133	83	76	20	100	6	197	1	0	9	753	101	3.49	1.331	6.8	1.0	5.1	*10.1*	1.97
1961	25	LAD	NL	18	13	.581	3.52	42	35	2	15	2	1	255.2	212	117	100	27	96	6	*269*	3	2	12	1068	122	*3.00*	1.205	7.5	1.0	3.4	*9.5*	2.80	AS,AS,MVP-18
1962	26	LAD	NL	14	7	.667	2.54	28	26	2	11	2	1	184.1	134	61	52	13	57	4	216	2	0	3	744	143	*2.15*	*1.036*	*6.5*	0.6	2.8	*10.5*	3.79	AS,MVP-24
1963	27	LAD	NL	25	5	.833	*1.88*	40	40	0	20	11	0	311.0	214	68	65	18	58	7	*306*	3	1	6	1210	159	*1.85*	*0.875*	6.2	0.5	1.7	8.9	*5.28*	AS,CYA-1,MVP-1
1964	28	LAD	NL	19	5	*.792*	1.74	29	28	1	15	7	1	223.0	154	49	43	13	53	5	223	0	0	9	870	186	*2.08*	*0.928*	6.2	0.5	2.1	9.0	4.21	AS,CYA-3,MVP-17
1965	29	LAD	NL	26	8	*.765*	*2.04*	43	41	2	27	8	2	*335.2*	216	90	76	26	71	4	*382*	5	0	11	*1297*	160	*1.93*	*0.855*	*5.8*	0.7	1.9	10.2	*5.38*	AS,CYA-1,MVP-2
1966	30	LAD	NL	27	9	.750	*1.73*	41	41	0	27	5	0	*323.0*	241	74	62	19	77	4	*317*	0	0	7	*1274*	*190*	*2.07*	0.985	6.7	0.5	2.1	8.8	4.12	AS,CYA-1,MVP-2
12 Yrs				165	87	.655	2.76	397	314	44	137	40	9	2324.1	1754	806	713	204	817	48	2396	18	7	87	9497	131	2.69	1.106	6.8	0.8	3.2	9.3	2.93
162 Game Avg.				16	8	.655	2.76	38	30	4	13	4	1	222	168	77	68	20	78	5	229	2	1	8	908	131	2.69	1.106	6.8	0.8	3.2	9.3	2.93

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/29/2024.

Kershaw By The Numbers

Standard Pitching
Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	Awards
2008	20	LAD	NL	5	5	.500	4.26	22	21	0	0	0	107.2	109	51	51	11	52	3	100	1	0	7	470	98	4.08	1.495	9.1	0.9	4.3	8.4	1.92
2009	21	LAD	NL	8	8	.500	2.79	31	30	1	0	0	171.0	119	55	53	7	91	4	185	1	2	11	701	143	3.08	1.228	*6.3*	0.4	4.8	9.7	2.03
2010	22	LAD	NL	13	10	.565	2.91	32	32	0	1	1	204.1	160	73	66	13	81	9	212	7	2	5	848	133	3.12	1.179	7.0	0.6	3.6	9.3	2.62
2011	23	LAD	NL	21	5	.808	*2.28*	33	33	0	5	2	233.1	174	66	59	15	54	2	248	3	1	5	912	161	2.47	0.977	6.7	0.6	2.1	9.6	4.59	AS,CYA-1,MVP-12,GG
2012	24	LAD	NL	14	9	.609	*2.53*	33	33	0	2	2	227.2	170	70	64	16	63	5	229	5	2	6	901	150	2.89	1.023	*6.7*	0.6	2.5	9.1	3.63	AS,CYA-2,MVP-16
2013	25	LAD	NL	16	9	.640	*1.83*	33	33	0	3	2	236.0	164	55	48	11	52	2	232	3	2	12	908	*194*	2.39	*0.915*	6.3	0.4	2.0	8.8	4.46	AS,CYA-1,MVP-7
2014	26	LAD	NL	21	3	*.875*	*1.77*	27	27	0	6	2	198.1	139	42	39	9	31	0	239	2	2	7	749	*197*	*1.81*	*0.857*	6.3	0.4	1.4	*10.8*	7.71	AS,CYA-1,MVP-1
2015	27	LAD	NL	16	7	.696	2.13	33	33	0	4	3	*232.2*	163	62	55	15	42	1	*301*	5	3	9	890	173	*1.99*	0.881	6.3	0.6	1.6	11.6	7.17	AS,CYA-3,MVP-10
2016	28	LAD	NL	12	4	.750	1.69	21	21	0	3	3	149.0	97	31	28	8	11	1	172	2	3	5	544	237	1.80	0.725	5.9	0.5	0.7	10.4	15.64	AS,CYA-5
2017	29	LAD	NL	18	4	.818	2.31	27	27	0	1	0	175.0	136	49	45	23	30	0	202	0	2	4	679	179	3.07	0.949	7.0	1.2	1.5	10.4	6.73	AS,CYA-2,MVP-17
2018	30	LAD	NL	9	5	.643	2.73	26	26	0	0	0	161.1	139	55	49	17	29	0	155	2	0	10	650	142	3.18	1.041	7.8	0.9	1.6	8.6	5.34
2019	31	LAD	NL	16	5	.762	3.03	29	28	0	0	0	178.1	145	63	60	28	41	0	189	2	1	7	706	137	3.86	1.043	7.3	1.4	2.1	9.5	4.61	AS,CYA-8
2020	32	LAD	NL	6	2	.750	2.16	10	10	0	0	0	58.1	41	18	14	8	8	0	62	1	0	0	221	202	3.31	0.840	6.3	1.2	1.2	9.6	7.75	CYA-9
2021	33	LAD	NL	10	8	.556	3.55	22	22	0	0	0	121.2	103	51	48	15	21	0	144	3	1	7	488	119	3.00	1.019	7.6	1.1	1.6	10.7	6.86
2022	34	LAD	NL	12	3	.800	2.28	22	22	0	0	0	126.1	96	36	32	10	23	0	137	2	1	0	493	177	2.57	0.942	6.8	0.7	1.6	9.8	5.96	AS
2023	35	LAD	NL	13	5	.722	2.46	24	24	0	0	0	131.2	100	39	36	19	40	0	137	3	2	6	523	179	4.03	1.063	6.8	1.3	2.7	9.4	3.43	AS
16 Yrs				210	92	.695	2.48	425	422	1	25	15	2712.2	2055	816	747	225	669	27	2944	42	24	101	10683	157	2.82	1.004	6.8	0.7	2.2	9.8	4.40
162 Game Avg.				17	7	.695	2.48	34	34	0	2	1	218	165	66	60	18	54	2	236	3	2	8	858	157	2.82	1.004	6.8	0.7	2.2	9.8	4.40

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/29/2024.

Dominance on the Mound

Koufax’s Five-Year Reign

In a five-year span from 1962 to 1966, Koufax led the NL in ERA each year, a testament to his dominance. His 1963 season was particularly stellar; with a 25-5 record, Koufax claimed the Cy Young and MVP, an eerily similar performance to Kershaw’s MVP 2014 season where he went 21-3.

Kershaw’s Consistent Excellence

Kershaw has not only mirrored Koufax’s top performances but has also offered remarkable consistency. From 2011 to 2014, he led MLB in ERA, the first to do so in four consecutive years since Greg Maddux in the 1990s. His 2.48 career ERA and 1.00 WHIP are the lowest among starters in the live-ball era with a minimum of 1,000 innings pitched.

Playoff Performances and Pursuit of Perfection

Koufax’s Postseason Prowess

In World Series play, Koufax was nothing short of brilliant, posting a 0.95 ERA and claiming two MVPs across four series. Though he retired at a young age due to chronic elbow pain, his postseason legend remains untouched.

Kershaw’s Quest for October Glory

For Kershaw, October success was more elusive early in his career, often overshadowed by the narrative of postseason struggles. However, he played a pivotal role in the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series run, finally securing the championship that had long eluded him, enhancing his standing in Dodger lore.

Award Seasons and Accolades

Koufax’s Triple Crowns

Koufax’s three Triple Crowns, awarded for leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA, are a testament to his all-around dominance during his peak years. His awards came in 1963, 1965, and 1966 – the latter two occurring in consecutive seasons.

Kershaw’s Cy Youngs and MVP

Kershaw’s award seasons are equally impressive. His 2011 Triple Crown and Cy Young award set the stage for future accolades, including back-to-back Cy Youngs in 2013 and 2014, with the latter year also earning him MVP honors.

Impact Beyond the Numbers

Koufax’s Cultural Significance

Koufax’s decision to sit out a World Series game because it fell on Yom Kippur sent powerful ripples through the sports world, underlining the importance of faith and identity. His early retirement left fans wondering what could have been, cementing his status as a mythical figure in baseball history.

Kershaw’s Humanitarian Efforts

Off the field, Kershaw’s impact is profound. His charity work, particularly in Africa, and his commitment to community service through initiatives like “Kershaw’s Challenge” demonstrate a dedication to humanity that rivals his commitment to the craft of pitching.

Legacy and Longevity

Koufax’s Bright, Burning Career

Koufax’s relatively short career burned twice as bright. Despite his brief time on the mound, he left an indelible mark on the game, a legendary figure whose peak remains a gold standard for pitchers to aspire to.

Kershaw’s Continued Excellence

Kershaw, still adding chapters to his storied career, has the benefit of longevity. His sustained success over a longer period offers a different kind of legend – one of consistency and adaptation over time.

Conclusion: A Left-Handed Complement

Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw share more than a jersey – they share a left-handed legacy of excellence that continues to inspire. Both have set and broken records, dominated opponents, and emerged as icons not only for the Dodgers but for baseball as a whole. Though their careers are separated by decades, their impact resonates through time, a testament to the timeless nature of their talents. Whether it’s the historic surge of Koufax’s last seasons or Kershaw’s era-defining consistency, these two southpaws are forever intertwined in the rich tapestry of baseball greatness.