Clayton Kershaw Might Have Another Great Dodgers Career After Booth Debut

Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw took a bold step in his broadcasting career, serving as the lead analyst in the booth of a baseball game alongside play-by-play guy Joe Davis.

Kershaw has served as a part-time sideline analyst for NBC on the "Sunday Night Baseball" broadcast.

However, he has now filled in for Orel Hershiser, Sportsnet LA's main partner for Davis.

It was quite a move for Kershaw, given that he just retired from baseball only months ago, but he has now given broadcasters a trial of what he could offer in the booth if need be.

Breaking down Kershaw's time in the booth

Not to bury the lede, Kershaw was stellar in the booth next to Davis. He offered a ton of great insights into pitching, relaying stories and anecdotes he'd heard and experienced.

Rather than simply resting on his knowledge of the Dodgers, Kershaw had done his homework and offered analysis on the Braves pitching staff, including starter Bryce Elder and the bullpen.

Having worked so closely with Dodgers pitchers as recently as a few months ago, Kershaw had a ton to offer on the current crop of players.

His best moment of the night came when he said that pitchers cannot be afraid of their offspeed stuff even if it bounced in the dirt a pitch before.

Pitchers need to avoid closing their options to just a fastball in 3-2 counts, and they need to be willing to throw offspeed and trust their stuff, especially since hitters expect a challenge fastball to avoid a walk.

It was a great peek into the mind of one of the best pitchers of all time, who knows a thing or two about taking the mound.

His pitching knowledge let him break down a hitter's approach and why they make certain swing decisions.

Tyler Glasnow was making his first start since May, and Kershaw offered much about what a pitcher is looking for after a long layoff.

The key difference between Kershaw and Herschier, in terms of their styles as analysts, is that Kershaw is much more tapped into modern practices and can speak to the experience of playing in the analytical era, while also bringing some of the old-school know-how Herschier offers.

This is all from the actual baseball side of things, but even as a partner to Davis, Kershaw has the personality of being a big kid who just loves the sport.

He gets giddy during big moments and isn't afraid to sound awkward or make mistakes; instead, he takes things in stride and doesn't seem to overthink stepping into an unfamiliar role.

Going forward, if Herschier ever needs to take a break or miss a game or two, Kershaw has shown to be more than capable of stepping into the booth.

SNLA will need to be careful because ESPN, NBC, or FOX will be taking note of what Kershaw can offer, and his profile as an analyst should only rise as he gets more experience.

Was his debut performance as good as his pitching? No, he was unhittable at the peak of his powers and made hitters look silly, but Kershaw established himself as a hot analyst prospect, and for a rookie, his debut was everything he could have hoped for.