The starting rotation of the Los Angeles Dodgers has entered a new era, as a true ace has not yet emerged to replace the legendary Clayton Kershaw, who shouldered the role for nearly a decade. With Kershaw’s health concerns and diminished role, several high-profile arms now vie for the coveted status as the staff’s undisputed leader. From Japanese stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani to the questionable health of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the race remains wide open.

The Clayton Kershaw Years

While there’s no rule written in stone that the team must have an ace, Kershaw certainly did a fantastic job as the rotation’s leader and one of baseball’s undisputed top arms. From 2011 to 2017, he posted a remarkable 2.25 ERA while amassing 1,967 strikeouts and maintaining a stellar 0.938 WHIP across 1791-2/3 innings. His peak performance earned him three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2013, 2014), an MVP (2014), and five ERA titles, with his 2014 season standing out as particularly dominant — a 21-3 record with a 1.77 ERA, 239 strikeouts and just 31 walks in 198-1/3 innings.

By 2018, however, back problems and other injuries began to limit Kershaw’s effectiveness and availability, marking a gradual transition in his career. While still effective when healthy — as evidenced by his 2.28 ERA in 22 starts during the 2022 season — Kershaw has averaged just over 18 starts per season over the past four full campaigns. Now at 37, he has seen increasing time on the injured list, including his current recovery from shoulder surgery that will delay his 2025 season debut until at least the summer months.

Walker Buehler

As Kershaw’s health concerns grew more pronounced in the early 2020s, righty Walker Buehler appeared primed to be the heir apparent after establishing himself as one of baseball’s most dominant young pitchers. Buehler’s ascension reached its apex in 2021 when he delivered a stellar campaign, going 16-4 over 33 starts with a 2.47 ERA and an exceptional 0.968 WHIP while striking out 212 batters in 207-2/3 innings. His combination of high-velocity fastballs, devastating breaking pitches and remarkable control suggested the Dodgers had seamlessly transitioned from one homegrown ace to another.

Unfortunately, Buehler’s promising career trajectory was derailed by injuries, beginning with an elbow strain in June 2022 that eventually required UCL surgery — his second such procedure since being drafted. Despite the organization’s patience waiting for him to return to stardom, the emergence of multiple high-ceiling arms in the Los Angeles pipeline ultimately led the front office to make the difficult decision to move on from their former first-round pick. The baseball world was stunned when Buehler signed with the Boston Red Sox in free agency last winter, ending his tenure with the team that had developed him from the beginning.

Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin and Bobby Miller

Julio Urias represented another homegrown prodigy who, like Buehler, seemed to be on pace for stardom. The Mexican left-hander’s journey from teenage phenom to major league star culminated in a magnificent 2022 campaign, when he went 17-7 with a stellar 2.16 ERA over 31 starts, finishing third in the National League Cy Young voting.

However, his career has been marred by significant off-field issues, including a 20-game suspension in 2019 under MLB’s domestic violence policy and more recent allegations that resulted in a subsequent suspension, effectively ending his tenure with the Dodgers and leaving another vacancy in the team’s quest for a new ace.

Right-hander Tony Gonsolin’s rise from unheralded prospect to rotation mainstay offered yet another glimpse of a potential frontline starter emerging from within the organization. Like Urias, Gonsolin’s 2022 season was nothing short of spectacular, as he compiled a 16-1 record with a 2.14 ERA across 24 starts, earning his first All-Star selection while posting a minuscule 0.875 WHIP. Gonsolin’s devastating splitter and impeccable command transformed him from a swingman into a legitimate top-of-rotation candidate, though injuries ultimately prevented him from cementing himself in the rotation.

Righty Bobby Miller burst onto the scene in 2023 with a triple-digit fastball and wipeout slider that immediately captivated fans desperate for a homegrown power arm to stabilize the rotation. The 6-foot-5 righty impressed during his rookie campaign, posting 11 wins and a 3.76 ERA across 22 starts while striking out 119 batters and showcasing the front-of-rotation potential that made him a first-round draft selection.

Unfortunately, Miller’s sophomore season revealed concerning control issues as his walk rate ballooned from 2.3 to 4.8 per nine innings, causing him to fall precipitously down the depth chart and even necessitating a demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City to refine his mechanics. Despite his electric arsenal, Miller’s struggles highlight the unpredictable paths even for the most talented pitching prospects.

Present Day

The current rotation represents perhaps the most talented collection of arms in franchise history, headlined by two-time Cy Young winner Snell and Japanese superstars Yamamoto and Sasaki, with Ohtani perhaps waiting in the wings. Snell’s early-season shoulder inflammation highlights his career-long durability concerns, while Yamamoto and Sasaki are still adapting to the MLB.

Beyond the headliners, the Dodgers continue developing promising young arms who could eventually emerge as rotation cornerstones, though injuries have slowed their progression. Gavin Stone showed flashes of brilliance with his devastating changeup before shoulder issues sidelined him in 2024, while River Ryan‘s meteoric rise through the farm system was halted by UCL surgery that will keep him out until 2026. Emmet Sheehan, whose upper-90s fastball and deceptive delivery impressed during his brief major league stint, is also navigating a lengthy rehabilitation process following elbow reconstruction.

Nevertheless, Yamamoto could be the current frontrunner to long-term stardom. His six-inning gem against the Cubs on Friday was just another example of his potential, as he’s currently sporting a 1.23 ERA over 22 innings this season with an MLB-leading 28 punchouts.