On March 31, 2011, Clayton Kershaw made his first career Opening Day start when the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the San Francisco Giants on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.
Kershaw was 23 years of age in 2011 and that was the season he really established himself as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, winning his first of three Cy Young Awards and being named an All-Star for the first time.
He kicked off that season against the defending World Series champion Giants on Opening Day, starting opposite a two-time Cy Young Award winner in Tim Lincecum.