Just like Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels in 2006, Dodgers phenom Clayton Kershaw made a highly anticipated debut on Sunday and still found a way to exceed lofty expectations. He worked six solid innings in a home start against the Cardinals, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. He got a no-decision when L.A. won 4-3 in the 10th on an Andre Ethier RBI single.

Hamels, a lanky left-hander with an advanced approach to pitching, is a solid comparison for Kershaw. Their arsenals are different, but their deliveries are similar and the results, at least through one start, are looking very much the same. Kershaw is armed with a live fastball and a deadly curveball, where Hamels features a quality fastball and a plus-changeup.

Hamels was good, not great, in his rookie campaign, striking out 145 batters in 132.1 innings, but with a 4.08 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Those are realistic benchmarks for Kershaw, who has the potential to average a strikeout per inning and limit opponents to a sub-.240 batting average.

The question remains about how many innings Kershaw is capable of pitching, but he should be fine in that department. Dodgers management restricted his workload in the minors, so he could enter the rotation and have enough gas to remain there. 

Kershaw is a must-add in all fantasy leagues and scoring formats, though It’s likely too late.

Dustin Hockensmith is editor of ImaginaryDiamond.com. He can be contacted at dhockensmith[at]fantasysports101.net.