Legendary Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has officially hung up his cleats, announcing his retirement from professional baseball after his team secured the World Series title in 2025.

The Dodgers celebrated a consecutive World Series win on Saturday, November 1, triumphing in a thrilling Game 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The nail-biting match extended to 11 innings, with the Dodgers emerging victorious with a narrow 5-4 scoreline.

In the aftermath of the Dodgers’ triumph, Major League Baseball honored Kershaw on social media, stating he was “going out on top.” The 37-year-old pitcher had previously revealed in September his intention to retire this year, concluding an illustrious 18-season career with the Dodgers.

Before the final game, Kershaw shared his thoughts on the impending conclusion of his career during an interview with the MLB Network, reflecting on his journey.

During Game 3 of the World Series, as the Dodgers faced off against the Blue Jays, the team paid homage to their absent teammate, Alex Vesia, who was away due to personal reasons. Several players, including pitcher Justin Wrobleski, sported Vesia’s number, 51, on their caps at Dodger Stadium on Monday, October 27. This gesture highlighted the team’s unity and support.

“I have so many emotions. I think all of us do,” the three-time Cy Young Award winner admitted. “It’s Game 7 and I think about it all. I’m gonna miss it like crazy, putting on my [uniform] for the last time … But, at the end of the day, when you think about it, getting to be out here for a Game 7 as your last game. How cool is that, man?”

The pitcher added, “You can’t script it any better than that so I’m just really grateful. It’s going to be an awesome night and hopefully one more win.”

Kershaw did get up in the bullpen during Game 7 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, but it was Yoshinobu Yamamoto who finished off the night with a game-winning double-play.

Clayton’s wife, Ellen Kershaw, and their four children — Cali, Charley, Cooper and Chance — were often in attendance to support the MLB star throughout the postseason. The athlete revealed in a live interview with Dodger Nation in June that Ellen is pregnant with the couple’s fifth baby.

“We’ve got #5 coming,” he beamed. “We’ve got another girl coming. We’ve got bookend girls to go with our three boys.”

The Dodgers pitching roster had an unexpected shakeup days before the World Series started when the team announced that Alex Vesia was taking time away to deal with a personal matter.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we share that Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter,” the team announced. “The entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family and we will provide an update at a later date.”

No other details about the situation have been publicly revealed, though Kayla is pregnant with her and Alex’s first child. The Dodgers paid tribute to their missing compatriot by stitching Vesia’s number into their hats ahead of Game 3.

Following Game 3, Clayton admitted to the press that the entire Dodgers squad was feeling Alex’s absence.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia has established himself as a critical piece to his team’s bullpen, and his wife, Kayla Vesia, has been by his side the entire way. In October 2025, however, Alex was forced to step away from the team on the eve of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto […]

“It’s just something that we talked about,” Kershaw said of their coordinated hats. “I’m new to the bullpen, but Ves, he means a lot to all of us. And he was a huge part of this team, huge part of that bullpen. So, we just wanted to do something to honor him.”

Elsewhere, Dodgers pitcher Evan Phillips added that their teammate’s departure was “playing on [their] hearts recently.”

“We certainly miss him on the field, but we know that we have his back and the support’s there for them while they’re going through this hard time,” he told the media.