What happened in 2016: Was on his way to a historically great season when a herniated disc sidelined him for two months.
Clayton Kershaw‘s 2016 started off really, really well, even by Clayton Kershaw standards. By the end of May, he’d already reached 100 strikeouts versus just five walks, a feat never before accomplished in the modern era. He picked up an additional 40 strikeouts in five June starts (while issuing just four walks, one of which was intentional), and another 300 strikeout season seemed well within reach. Kershaw was preventing runs in typical Kershaw fashion, too.