Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer have had illustrious careers that have run parallel—it's almost certain their paths will lead them to Cooperstown together, five years after their retirements.

However, over the years, their trajectories have occasionally intersected. These two phenomenal starting pitchers were teammates on the Dodgers for part of the 2021 season and have also faced off as direct competitors from time to time. (When we say "competitors," we mean it. Few pitchers in baseball history have been as renowned for their focus and passion as these two.)

Kershaw and Scherzer's first encounter dates back to 2008, when they were both rookies. The latest—and perhaps final—matchup will take place on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, with Scherzer starting for the Blue Jays and Kershaw pitching for the Dodgers in an interleague showdown featuring division leaders from both leagues.

So, as these two sports giants prepare to face off again, let’s delve into the details and address some of the most pressing questions.

How rare is it for two pitchers with over 3000 strikeouts to face each other?

The 3000 strikeout club is one of the most exclusive circles in baseball, and Kershaw and Scherzer are the two most recent members. Both achieved this feat while playing for the Dodgers: Scherzer did so during his brief stint with the team in 2021, while Kershaw reached it on July 2. They became the 19th and 20th pitchers to reach this remarkable milestone.

Thus, a matchup between two pitchers who have both reached 3000 strikeouts is extremely rare in history. (It should be clarified that we refer to pitchers facing off after they have both reached the 3000 strikeout milestone, not at any point in their careers.) Due to the concentration of many such pitchers' careers, this matchup occurred 20 times in the 1980s. However, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, this has only happened four times since then. Here are the three matchups prior to Kershaw vs. Scherzer:

• September 6, 2023: Scherzer (Rangers) vs. Justin Verlander (Astros)
• September 16, 2007: Curt Schilling (Red Sox) vs. Roger Clemens (Yankees)
• July 19, 2006: Greg Maddux (Cubs) vs. Clemens (Astros)

What is the history of their pitching matchups?

Despite both pitchers having long careers, this is actually only their fifth time facing each other as starting pitchers, with the regular season matchups being the fourth. Here’s a recap of their previous encounters:

September 7, 2008 (Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers): Both pitchers were rookies with bright futures but had yet to establish themselves in the majors. Kershaw and Scherzer faced off for the first time due to the scheduling of two future Hall of Famers (Greg Maddux of the Dodgers and Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks). They each allowed three runs and did not earn a decision, though Scherzer's performance was more impressive, striking out 11 with just one walk.

October 7, 2016 (Dodgers vs. Nationals): This was Game 1 of the NL Division Series, breaking a long stretch without a matchup between these two pitchers (partly due to Scherzer pitching for the American League's Detroit Tigers from 2010 to 2014 after being traded from the Diamondbacks). Kershaw (who pitched five innings and allowed three runs) earned the win, while Scherzer (who pitched six innings and allowed four runs) took the loss, despite both not being at their best. They did not face each other again in this NL Division Series, although Kershaw came out of the bullpen just one day after starting Game 4 to close out the series in the fifth game started by Scherzer.

April 20, 2018 (Nationals vs. Dodgers): Scherzer was dominant in this game, pitching six innings and allowing just one run to win the game. Kershaw (who pitched seven innings and allowed four runs) not only took the loss but also allowed a hit in the fifth inning, marking the only hit recorded between these two pitchers.

April 11, 2021 (Nationals vs. Dodgers): Less than four months later, Scherzer became Kershaw's teammate after being traded to Los Angeles from the Nationals before the trade deadline, and then leaving as a free agent in the offseason. However, in this game, they were still opponents, with Kershaw (six scoreless innings) narrowly defeating Scherzer (six innings with one run) to earn the win.

So how did they go from rookie rivals to 3000 strikeout pitchers?

Indeed. At the time of their first matchup, no one could have predicted that Kershaw and Scherzer would one day reach such heights. At that time, Kershaw, the left-handed pitcher for the Dodgers, had already accumulated 77 major league strikeouts, 43 more than Scherzer, the right-handed pitcher for the Diamondbacks. They had a long way to go to reach 3000 strikeouts.

In fact, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 2008 game was the only instance in MLB history where two pitchers faced off as rookies and ultimately each accumulated at least 3000 strikeouts.

What’s another interesting fact about the 2008 matchup? Although both are still active players, Kershaw and Scherzer will almost certainly one day be inducted into Cooperstown together. According to the Elias Sports Bureau (using the first year of their careers prior to 1900 as a reference), only two pairs of players have faced off as starting pitchers during their rookie seasons and eventually made it to the Hall of Fame. The most recent instance was on September 22, 1890, when Kid Nichols faced Cy Young. Another was on June 18 of the same year, when Nichols faced Jesse Burkett. Burkett primarily played as an outfielder after 1890 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as an outfielder. One day, Kershaw and Scherzer from 2008 will join this list.

2008 was a long time ago. Does this also hold special significance?

Indeed. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this marks the 12th time that two starting pitchers have faced off again at least 17 seasons after their first matchup. Here are the last five instances, incredibly, three of which occurred in the same season.

• 2025: Kershaw vs. Scherzer (first matchup in 2008)
• 2007: John Smoltz vs. Greg Maddux (1990)
• 2007: David Wells vs. Jamie Moyer (1990)
• 2007: Randy Johnson vs. Moyer (1989)
• 1992: Frank Tanana vs. Bert Blyleven (1973)

Who has had a better career?

This is an interesting debate, as there is almost no statistical gap between the two pitchers. Unsurprisingly, when it comes to career statistics among active pitchers, few can compare to Kershaw and Scherzer—other than each other and Verlander.

• Starts: Scherzer 2nd (465), Kershaw 3rd (442)
• Innings Pitched: Scherzer 2nd (2,919), Kershaw 3rd (2,808.1)
• Wins: Scherzer 2nd (218), Kershaw 3rd (217)
• Strikeouts: Scherzer 2nd (3,451), Kershaw 3rd (3,010)
• Pitching bWAR: Kershaw 2nd (77.4), Scherzer 3rd (74.8)
• Earned Run Average (^): Kershaw 1st (2.52), Scherzer 5th (3.18)
• Adjusted Earned Run Average (^): Kershaw 1st (155), Scherzer 5th (132)
• WHIP (^): Kershaw 2nd (1.02), Scherzer 4th (1.08)

Note: Minimum innings pitched 1,000

The similarities don't stop there. Both have won three Cy Young Awards, but Kershaw also has an MVP award. Both have thrown no-hitters, though Scherzer has two, while Kershaw has one. Both own two World Series championship rings, although Kershaw did not participate in the Dodgers' 2024 postseason. Both have been selected as All-Stars multiple times, with Kershaw leading Scherzer 11 selections to 8, including this year where he was inducted as a legendary player.

Essentially, it's a question that can't be answered wrong. While Friday's matchup won't alter either player's career trajectory, it certainly marks another memorable chapter in the historically intertwined careers of these two legends.