Dodgers aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke are stark opposites in their approach to pitching. While the two are confident in their methods, there is a specific quality Greinke possesses that Kershaw wishes he had.
Teammates and fans alike have noticed the major differences between the equanimous, relaxed Greinke and the intense, regimented Kershaw over the past few years, an observation that certainly isn't lost on the players themselves.
"I think you can safely say that Zack and I are complete opposites in how we go about [pitching], and it works," Kershaw said, per ESPN.
While they having combined to form one of the most dynamic lefty-righty duos in baseball despite their glaring differences, Kershaw is envious of one particular quality of Greinke's.
"I think being emotionless might be the best thing to do on the mound, but it's hard for me to contain it at times," Kershaw said after his recent heated argument with manager Don Mattingly after being taken out of a game in the fifth inning.
"Zack does a really good job of that, too, not being affected by really anything, good or bad, which is definitely a quality I admire in him."
Emotional or emotionless, the two have been dominant on the mound this season, which is evident in their stat lines (Kershaw: 15-7, 220 IP, 281 SO, 2.25 ERA, 0.91 WHIP; Greinke: 18-3, 214.2 IP, 192 SO, 1.68 ERA, 0.85 WHIP).
Now, the duo will be expected to lead the Dodgers in the postseason; however, they're not looking too far ahead.
"We'll get there when we get there," Kershaw said. "Zack and I are kind of similar in that [five days] is about as far as we look ahead. I'll have plenty of time -- four days, hopefully -- once we do this thing to start worrying about that."
