FA Pitcher Clayton Kershaw & San Diego Padres Slugger Manny Machado (Photos via IMAGN)
In June 2023, Clayton Kershaw met up with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Mookie Betts during an episode of the outfielder's show, "On Base." The two are more than familiar with each other, being teammates for the last five years.
The two talked about everything from which MLB star could win a karaoke contest to which slugger has given Kershaw the most trouble. His answer is likely shared by multiple pitchers throughout the sport.
Kershaw considered Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Manny Machado as the three hitters who have given him the most trouble. As a division rival, Kershaw has certainly faced Machado a bunch.
"Manny gets me pretty good. Like most guys have strengths and weaknesses. You can't just throw it to the weakness every time, but in big spots, there's some safe zones where you can go. Manny, when he wants to, can hit whatever, like, just depending on what he is looking for," said Kershaw.
