There’s a difference between having a great season and building a legacy. Plenty of players light up a box score. Few carve out résumés that send the MLB Hall of Fame committee reaching for their pens. With the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s not just about winning now—it’s about building monuments for later. And while some stars chase headlines, others quietly compile Cooperstown credentials in plain sight.
Clayton Kershaw doesn’t need another pitch to cement his place in history. Mookie Betts is redefining what a modern Hall of Famer looks like. And Freddie Freeman? He’s been padding a first-ballot case while barely breaking a sweat. These aren’t just Dodgers—they’re future plaques in waiting.
Clayton Kershaw proved why he has to be in the Hall of Fame this season
Clayton Kershaw isn’t just headed to Cooperstown—he’s carving a direct path through baseball immortality. With a career 2.51 ERA, 76.8 bWAR, and three Cy Youngs, his résumé screams generational greatness. He became just the fourth left-handed pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 strikeouts in 2025. Fellow Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez put it best: “I’ll see you in Cooperstown, bro.” From awards to awe, Kershaw’s name already echoes where legends go to live forever.
His 2025 return was fueled by doubt, but he silenced it with numbers and control on the mound. After toe surgery and a rocky May, he rebounded in June with a 2.16 ERA and 20.6% strikeout rate. In 27.2 innings, he struck out 20 and walked just 10, posting a strong 3.25 ERA. Kershaw’s curveball baffled hitters, holding opponents to a .200 batting average with deceptive spin and late bite. As Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski said, “I hope not,” when asked if this was Kershaw’s farewell tour.
July 2, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: The three-time Cy Young Award winner and starting pitcher, Clayton Kershaw 22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reaches 3000th strike outs during their regular season MLB, Baseball Herren, USA game against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday July 2, 2025 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers is the only team that Kershaw has played for during his 18-year career. Kershaw becomes the 20th MLB pitcher to reach this milestone. JAVIER ROJAS/PI Los Angeles USA – ZUMAp124 20250702_zaa_p124_040 Copyright: xJavierxRojasx
But perhaps nothing defines him like the 2014 masterclass—1.77 ERA, 21 wins, 239 strikeouts, and an MVP. He no-hit Colorado that year, missing perfection by a single Hanley Ramírez throwing error. From 2011 to 2017, he posted a surreal 2.10 ERA and struck out 1,623 over 1,452 innings. Since 1950, no pitcher with 1,500 innings has a lower ERA than Kershaw—nobody. Whether or not retirement follows in 2025, his legacy already belongs to the rarest air baseball offers.
So if Cooperstown’s gates aren’t already dusting off a plaque space, someone’s not doing their job right. Kershaw hasn’t just passed the eye test—he’s rewritten the grading curve. The man threw a no-hitter, won an MVP, and now has 3,000 strikeouts—and you’re still asking if? Baseball doesn’t hand out legacies like coupons, but Kershaw cashed his in years ago. At this point, the only debate left is what suit he wears on induction day.
Freddie Freeman’s Career Arc Is Carving a Clear Path to the MLB Hall of Fame
Freddie Freeman is on a surefire path to Cooperstown, and the evidence is hard to dispute. By the end of 2024, he’d amassed 2,267 hits, 343 home runs, 1,232 RBIs, 1,298 runs, 508 doubles, and 3,866 total bases, all ranking first among active players. His career bWAR stands at 60.7, surpassing Hall of Famers like Todd Helton and Fred McGriff. Starting from modest .294 BA, .380 OBP, and .885 OPS in his 20s, he surged to .313/.403/.929 OPS and 5.1 bWAR per season from age 30 through 34. Simply put, his post-30 performance redefined peak production for a first baseman.
Freeman’s 2025 campaign has been emblematic of enduring excellence and upside. Through July, he’s batting .347, with a .417 OBP, .579 SLG, and .996 OPS. He’s added nine homers, ten doubles, and already crossed 900 career extra-base hits, joining an elite 70-player club. Projections expect him to finish with 31 doubles, 23 homers, and 95 RBIs, translating to a 3‑year OPS of .920 and .399 OBP. Such output would make him just the eighth first baseman aged 35+ to notch 6+ bWAR in a season, alongside legends like Hank Aaron and Stan Musial.
Image Credit: Imagn
In comparison to other prominent Hall of Fame worthy first basemen, Freeman not only stacks up—he often surpasses them. His 60.7 career bWAR rivals or exceeds figures from elite names such as Miguel Cabrera, Paul Goldschmidt (64.2), Joey Votto (63.6), and classic middle-of-the-pack legends. His career OPS+ of around 143–150, eight All-Star nods, MVP, World Series MVP, Gold Glove, and three Silver Sluggers firmly bolster his resume. With a contract through 2027, he’s on track to eclipse 3,000 hits, locking in old-school milestones. Put simply: when comparing pedigree, production, and peak, Freeman belongs in that elite, Hall-of-Fame conversation.
The numbers don’t just whisper—they shout: Freddie Freeman is Cooperstown-bound, whether skeptics like it or not. If this version of Freeman is what “aging” looks like, baseball’s got a problem with its definitions. He’s not padding a résumé; he’s building a monument in cleats. When the Hall debates arrive, some cases will raise questions—Freeman’s will raise plaques.
Mookie Betts isn’t there yet, but the MLB Hall of Fame is clearly on his horizon
Mookie Betts’s career has consistently embodied Hall of Fame credentials, and there’s no plausible scenario derailing that trajectory. He combined elite peak seasons in Boston—averaging 8.5 bWAR per year from 2016 through 2019, including a 10.7 bWAR MVP campaign in 2018—with sustained dominance in Los Angeles. That Boston-to‑Dodgers transition brought two more World Series championships, showcasing his championship pedigree and adaptability under pressure. A single poor season—such as his 2025 slump—won’t erase decades of dominance and elite performance. In short: Betts’s foundation is too strong to crumble from one statistical dip.
Betts’s career skill set spans contact, power, defense, speed, and positional versatility unmatched in modern baseball. His unique mid-career positional switch—from right field to second base, then to shortstop—reflects extraordinary adaptability and team-first mentality. In stepping into shortstop at age thirty-one, Betts joined a historical elite few and answered criticism with serious dedication and daily drills. Baseball Reference’s JAWS ranks him eighth among right fielders all-time, ahead of icons like Reggie Jackson and Ichiro Suzuki. Even classic Hall of Famers like Tony Gwynn fall below him in that JAWS positioning, cementing his elite standing.
Jun 2, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Looking at context and legacy, Betts has accumulated a career 69.6 bWAR and a seven-year peak of 55.0 WAR, combining for a 62.3 JAWS score. That WAR total surpasses many Hall of Fame right fielders and positions him extremely close to the average HOF benchmark of 70 bWAR. His trophy case—eight All-Star selections, six Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, three World Series rings—amplifies every statistical milestone. Even counting absences, his award-laden career and consistent contributions to winning teams place him firmly on Cooperstown’s radar. With eight years remaining on his massive contract and steady performance, Betts’s legacy can only grow more indelible.
So, no one down year doesn’t toss Betts out of Cooperstown’s velvet-lined waiting room. The man didn’t just change positions; he redefined positional value. If baseball’s gatekeepers are still debating his résumé, they might need to check their own stats. He’s already outpaced legends, outlasted doubters, and outfinessed Father Time. The only thing left is whether the plaque shows him in Dodger blue or with a smirk.
When the Dodgers build legacies, they don’t leave room for “maybes” or “almosts.” Kershaw, Freeman, and Betts aren’t trending toward Cooperstown—they’re already casting shadows on its walls. Their careers span eras, positions, and expectations, but they’ve all mastered MLB’s toughest skill: sustained greatness. So if the Hall still needs convincing, it’s not these three who need better numbers—it’s the voters who need better glasses.
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