Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw embarked on a heartfelt goodbye tour last year, having declared in September his intention to conclude his MLB career at the end of the 2025 season. Kershaw managed to secure a final iconic achievement, offered a last homage to the Dodgers faithful, and concluded his time in Major League Baseball as a title winner.
However, it seems Kershaw’s decision to step away from professional baseball was specific to Major League Baseball, rather than the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Much to the astonishment of numerous observers, Kershaw, aged 37, was named to Team USA on Thursday, slated to take the mound for the squad in the forthcoming World Baseball Classic competition.
Kershaw emphasized that his return was not for the current MLB season, informing Andy McCullough from The Athletic that his preparation involves only what’s necessary to participate in the tournament.
“My pitching regimen is merely sufficient for a ten-day stint,” he stated. “I won’t be participating in the league this season — thus, I considered this an opportune moment to experience the WBC. My desire to contribute is genuine.”
In response to inquiries about his motivation for stepping onto a professional baseball mound once more, Kershaw simply offered, “Why shouldn’t I?”
From the outset of the offseason, the composition of Team USA’s lineup began to materialize. It was evident almost instantly that the United States harbored a strong ambition to triumph in the competition, with Pittsburgh Pirates pitching sensation Paul Skenes and New York Yankees power hitter Aaron Judge swiftly pledging their participation. In subsequent weeks, their ranks swelled with additional MLB luminaries such as Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh, and Bobby Witt Jr., among many others.
Although Kershaw’s performance is no longer at the zenith of his career, he remains a prominent figure in the athletic world. Kershaw is widely considered the premier pitcher of his generation and is assuredly a first-ballot inductee into the Hall of Fame upon his eligibility.
Despite experiencing diminished fastball speed and a lighter pitching schedule during his concluding seasons in Major League Baseball, Kershaw nonetheless posted a 3.36 earned run average in his last year in the big leagues, serving as proof of both his pitching arsenal and his strategic acumen on the mound.
Team USA will undoubtedly be looking for those identical abilities to manifest themselves during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Kershaw demonstrated late in the season his capacity to contribute effectively from the Dodgers’ relief corps. Indications suggest he will be utilized in a comparable capacity for Team USA, according to The Athletic.
Notwithstanding his achievements later in the season, Kershaw was careful to manage expectations, stating that he does not anticipate being deployed in critical, high-pressure scenarios during the WBC, as reported by The Athletic.
“There’s no chance I’m facing Shohei in any significant contest,” Kershaw declared. “I’m making that clear immediately. He would launch any pitch a tremendous distance off me at this moment.”
Irrespective of the eventual outcome, the inclusion of Kershaw to the squad certainly injects a degree of anticipation into the competition ahead of its commencement in March. The iconic Dodgers figure already achieved a storybook conclusion to his MLB tenure, departing as a champion. He now has the opportunity to enhance his already distinguished reputation even further by also exiting the sport of baseball with a gold medal in what would be his ultimate professional outing.
