Dodgers Rookie Pitcher Looked Up To Clayton Kershaw His ‘Whole Life’

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw is three strikeouts away from reaching 3,000 career strikeouts.

The three-time Cy Young winner would be the 20th member of the exclusive club, a feat only three other southpaws have achieved. Only two members of the 3,000 strikeout club have done it with one team, and Kershaw would be the third in MLB history to do so.

On Wednesday, Kershaw has the chance to achieve the feat against the Chicago White Sox. A trio of punchouts in front of a home crowd at Dodger Stadium would make Kershaw the 20th pitcher in MLB history to have recorded 3,000 strikeouts.

For Dodgers rookie reliever Jack Dreyer, Kershaw’s illustrious career in Los Angeles inspired him as a lefty himself.

“I looked up to him as a left-handed pitcher my whole life,” he said the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. “Going back in my camera roll, I have a picture from 2016 of us side by side when I was in high school and he was in the big leagues. … (I made it on) one of those free apps where you can make a collage. I was trying to compare mechanics to try and figure some things out.

“At that point, he’d already had 10 years in ‘The Show’ and he’s still pitching. But now we’re teammates which is pretty cool.”

Dreyer has become a trusted member of the Dodgers bullpen, sporting a 3.24 ERA with 41 strikeouts across 41.2 innings of work in his inaugural season with the team.

Kershaw’s legacy is certainly a motivation for younger pitchers like Dreyer to pursue greatness and strive for excellence on the hill.