Through his first eight major league starts over the 1955 and 1956 seasons, Sandy Koufax, the man often referred to as The Left Arm of God, posted a 3-1 record and a 2.12 ERA in 50.1 innings pitched. During those first eight starts, Koufax struck out 34 and walked 29. The Brooklyn, New York native would go on to appear in seven All-Star Games, be a five-time ERA leader, a three-time Triple Crown winner, a three-time Cy Young award winner, a three-time World Series champion, a two-time World Series MVP, and a two-time MLB Player of the Year – all of which earned him a first ballot ticket into baseball immortality in 1972, when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Koufax was awarded baseball’s highest honor when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Through his first eight starts in the 2008 season, left-hander Clayton Kershaw posted an 0-2 record and a 4.42 ERA in 46.0 innings pitched. During those first right starts, Kershaw struck out 33 and walked 24. Over his 11 MLB seasons thus far, Kershaw has appeared in seven All-Star Games, is a five-time ERA leader, a three-time Cy Young award winner, a NL MVP, a Triple Crown winner, a MLB Player of the Year, and for good measure a Gold Glove winner. And even though the 30-year-old Dallas, Texas native has not yet hung up his spikes, there is zero doubt that he, too, will grace the Halls of Cooperstown one day – and probably also as a first-ballot inductee.

Dodger great and 1981 NL Cy Young Award winner Fernando Valenzuela presents Clayton Kershaw with his 2011 NL Cy Young award. Kershaw would win the prestigious award again in 2013 and 2014.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Through his first eight major league starts, all of which have come this season, right-hander Walker Buehler has a 3-1 record and a 2.74 ERA over 46.0 innings pitched. Buehler has struck out 50 and walked 11. And while the 23-year-old Lexington, Kentucky native has yet to win any major league awards, it is abundantly evident that his career is actually starting out better than current Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw … and significantly so.

We are witnessing baseball history unfolding before our eyes every time Walker Buehler takes the mound.
(Photo credit – Matt Kelly)

Is it fair to put Buehler’s numbers up against arguably the best two lefties the game has ever seen after only eight major league starts? Absolutely not; especially when you consider that Koufax made 314 career starts and Kershaw 298 to date. But it is impossible to ignore what the young Dodgers right-hander has and continues to do with each successive start.

Simply put, there is every indication that even though Buehler is in the infancy of his major league career, we are witnessing baseball history unfolding right before our very eyes.

Don’t miss it, my friends.