The United States has been putting together a roster stacked with superstars for the World Baseball Classic, and announced on Thursday that future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw will be joining the team.
Kershaw announced he was retiring last September and rode off into the sunset after the Los Angeles Dodgers won another World Series. However, as it turns out, that was not the last baseball fans would see of the three-time Cy Young Award winner. This year will be Kershaw’s first appearance in the World Baseball Classic.
Kershaw had to withdraw from the 2023 World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues. However, now that he is retired, that is not an issue. During an appearance on MLB Network, he noted that he wants to be a part of the group and do whatever Mark DeRosa needs him to.
“I just want to be the insurance policy, you know, if anybody needs a breather or if they need me to pitch back-to-back-to-back or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there,” Kershaw said on MLB Network on Thursday. “I just want to be part of this group. I learned a long time ago, you just want to be a part of great things, and this team seems like a really fun, awesome group.”
Team USA already has Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, the reigning Cy Young Award winners. However, those two will now get to share a clubhouse with one of the greatest pitchers of all-time.
The United States also has Joe Ryan, Logan Webb, Clay Holmes and Nolan McLean as potential starters, but the tournament figures to be all hands on deck. Kershaw is a living legend, and every pitcher on Team USA will be looking to soak up as much as they can from him.
Kershaw obviously shared a clubhouse with Shohei Ohtani the last two seasons, and Ohtani will be looking to lead Samurai Japan to another World Baseball Classic championship. However, he does not think he will have to face Ohtani.
“I think something will have gone terribly wrong if I have to pitch against Team Japan in the finals,” Kershaw said on MLB Network. “I think we got plenty of guys to get that guy out and not me.”
Kershaw had a 3.36 ERA in 23 games last season. Although not the pitcher he once was, he is still capable of getting outs, and his experience is unmatched. In fact, when DeRosa called him, Kershaw thought he was being recruited to coach.
“I missed (DeRosa’s) call, and he said, ‘Call me back about the WBC,'” Kershaw said on MLB Network. “I thought he wanted me to coach. I was like, ‘I’d love to go coach or help out.’ Then he mentioned playing again. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t have a whole lot of interest in picking up a baseball again. I started throwing 10-12 days ago, and it doesn’t feel terrible, so I think I’ll be okay.”
Kershaw is a former MVP Award winner, 11-Time All-Star, World Series Champion, Gold Glover and five-time ERA champion. He has a 2.53 career ERA in 455 regular-season games and 3,052 strikeouts. He has represented the United States before, on the 18U National Team, but now he will look to help the United States win the World Baseball Classic.
