Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher in the MLB

Once again the baseball world has crowned someone not named Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher in baseball. Anytime a pitcher shows the slightest hint of next level stuff; people are quick to jump the gun and name them the best pitcher in the world even though it just is not true.

This time around Max Scherzer is the culprit. Many in the baseball universe believe he has passed Clayton Kershaw as the best pitcher. King Kershaw has had a vice grip on that title since 2011 when he won his first of three Cy Young awards. Despite this fact, people continue to try and take this away from him, but Kershaw continues to make them eat their words.

Before Mad Max, it was Jake Arrieta, but he has since fallen off, thus opening the door for Max to be named the man who has dethroned Kershaw. This seems to happen in every sport. The clear-cut best player on the planet always gets caught by some player who is not quite on their level. LeBron James in the NBA, Tom Brady in the NFL and Clayton Kershaw in the MLB.

Clayton has been dominant for so long that whenever he has a “down” month, or two people say well it was bound to happen, he was good for so long. But the reality is Kershaw not at his best is still putting up numbers that are Cy Young worthy. This season is considered a bad start to the season for him, yet he is top 5 in ERA, WHIP, Wins, and Strikeouts.

This should say a whole lot about how people grade Kershaw. Even when he is putting up great numbers, he is questioned because he isn’t putting up record breaking numbers. Last season Clayton was off to yet another record-breaking season until an injury halted his progress and ultimately cost him his 4^th Cy Young in 6 years.

Let’s be real, if Clayton stayed healthy, he would have won the Cy Young, and Max would not be considered to have passed Kershaw. But that’s not the case, so fans are claiming that the Nationals ace is now the best. When people aren’t witnessing the greatness of Kershaw, the bar tends to lower for what great is.

Max Scherzer is a phenomenal pitcher but is still not in the same class as Clayton. With the exception of last season, Kershaw has been better in every year in all major statistical categories since 2011. Last season would have been the same story had he stood healthy. So realistically this season is the only time he has been better than Kershaw.

But Scherzer has only just been better than Kershaw this season. You know who else was better than Kershaw for half a season, Jake Arrieta and Zack Greinke. As soon as that happened, the baseball world went into a frenzy with calling Arrieta and Greinke better than Kershaw. It is like

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Déjà vu out in Los Angeles. A power pitcher has now “taken the title” from Kershaw.

We all know how that Arrieta story ended, Clayton finished the season better than him and started 2016 off en fuego. All the while knocking Mr. Arrieta back down to his rightful place. This Scherzer story may very well end the same way. If all goes as we expect, Kershaw will make the necessary adjustments and pass Mad Max this season, thus solidifying once again why he is the best pitcher on planet earth.

The thing that makes Clayton so great is longevity. He has been great for so long that it makes what he is doing even more impressive. This means teams have all the tape in the world on Clayton yet they still cannot figure him out. If they do (which may happen maybe for 1-2 games max) he makes the adjustments and once again continues to dominate hitters.

Clayton has spoiled Dodger fans throughout the years and will continue to do so. So when fans claim that another player has passed him, Dodger fans should be the first to stand up for him and let others know what we see every fifth day, that is the best pitcher in baseball. We get the rare opportunity to see a hall of famer walk out on the mound.

Next: Impact of Urias' injury

So despite what so-called experts might be saying, Clayton is still the best pitcher in baseball (for now). He will continue to be the best pitcher in baseball until someone can prove they are better for more than just half a season. Clayton Kershaw and his greatness will prevail this season, and he will eventually prove all of his doubters wrong while collecting his 4^th Cy Young at the end of this season.