Pitcher Clayton Kershaw hit 3,000 career strikeouts with the Dodgers, and the joy doubled as he and his wife, Ellen, announced they’re pregnant with their fifth child.
On July 2, 2025, Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Clayton Kershaw recorded his 3,000th career strikeout during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.
This feat made him the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, and only the fourth left-hander, to join the elite 3,000 strikeout club, alongside active pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
Kershaw celebrated this historic moment in front of his home fans, with his wife, Ellen Kershaw, and their four children cheering from the stands.
Let alone a professional achievement, his personal life is also setting a milestone, as Clayton and Ellen Kershaw are expecting their fifth child.
On Father’s Day, June 15, 2025, during an ESPN broadcast of a Dodgers-Giants game, Clayton announced that Ellen is expecting their fifth child, a girl, due in March 2026.
With excitement, Kershaw announced the exclusive news, saying:
We had a gender reveal today. We got another girl coming. We got bookend girls to go with our three boys.
Clayton Kershaw reveals on Father’s Day during the Dodgers, Giants game that he and his wife are expecting their 5th child and it’s a girl 🥹
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 16, 2025
Via @espn pic.twitter.com/0TuJa1Q1S6
Besides this announcement, other details about their soon-to-arrive baby remain unknown.
Clayton and Ellen Built A Lifelong Love From High School Sweethearts To A Growing Family Of Seven!
Clayton Kershaw and Ellen‘s journey began at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas, where they met as teenagers.
Clayton was 14 and Ellen was 15 when their romance sparked in the school cafeteria. Ellen recalled Clayton as the “class clown” who mustered the courage to ask her out during lunch.
Eventually, over time, their bond grew despite challenges.
The couple stood the test of time during the challenging period of long-distance when Ellen attended Texas A&M University and Clayton pursued his professional baseball career after being drafted by the Dodgers in 2006.
Ellen reflected on this time in an interview with Risen Magazine, saying,
We really had to work on our relationship when I was in college and he was in the minor leagues. I think we both realized it was definitely worth making an effort.
After seven years of dating, Clayton proposed to Ellen at age 21, following a day that included a trip to Six Flags and a limo ride.
Clayton and Ellen walked down the aisle on December 4, 2010, at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, with a Dodger-themed reception at Royal Oaks Country Club.
The couple has built a tight-knit family of six, comprising their four children, and now their family is growing to seven with the arrival of their fifth baby.
Kershaw and Ellen first experienced parenthood with their firstborn, Cali Ann Kershaw, who was born on January 3, 2015.
A year later, their son Charley Clayton Kershaw was born on November 19, 2016.
Their third child, Cooper Ellis Kershaw, was born January 16, 2020, while their fourth child, Chance James Kershaw, arrived on December 3, 2021.
Ellen Kershaw Is A Philanthropist Dedicated To Global Humanitarian Work!
Born November 9, 1987, Ellen, is a renowned philanthropist whose work has made a significant impact.
A Texas A&M graduate with a degree in communications, Ellen has focused her career on humanitarian efforts, particularly through the couple’s nonprofit, Kershaw’s Challenge, founded in 2011.
The organization supports at-risk children and families in Los Angeles, Dallas, Zambia, and the Dominican Republic, raising over $23 million.
Inspired by a 2011 mission trip to Zambia with Arise Africa, where they met a nine-year-old HIV-positive orphan named Hope, Clayton and Ellen established “Hope’s Home,” an orphanage in Lusaka.
Ellen’s passion for Africa began in college, and she has made multiple trips to Zambia, often sharing her experiences with Clayton to align their passions.
Besides her philanthropic activities, Ellen co-authored a book with Clayton, Arise: Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field You Find Yourself, published in 2012. The book details their Christian faith and humanitarian work.
She has also been actively involved in events like the “Ping Pong 4 Purpose” charity tournament at Dodger Stadium, which benefits Kershaw’s Challenge.
In 2023, Ellen and Clayton joined the International Justice Mission’s TEAM FREEDOM to combat modern-day slavery, further expanding their global impact.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Clayton Kershaw was the youngest MLB player when he debuted in 2008 at just 20 years old.
- He is a three-time Cy Young Award winner (2011, 2013, 2014) and 2014 NL MVP.
