You can read more about lefthanders on our affiliated websites

Lefthanders in Sports        Lefthanders Newsletter        Lefthanders Place        Products for Lefthanders


​​​​​​​​​​LEFTHANDED BASEBALL

The Best Lefthanded Batters and Lefthanded Pitchers in Baseball

Clayton Kershaw earns our recognition as the Current Best Lefthanded Starting Pitcher in Baseball, 

The next four lefthanded pitchers were all serious challengers to Kershaw just a few years ago, but each have fallen way behind for various reasons in recent years.  We list them in order of the most career wins, although their status for 2023 and beyond remains in doubt… 

​David Price won 150 games in his first 12 years in the majors, then opted-out the 2020 season and pitched mostly in relief during his last two years with the Dodgers.  He has chosen not to play in 2023 and is likely retired with 157 wins, 82 losses, a .657 winning percentage, 2076 strikeouts and 2143 inning pitched.  He is a 5-time all-star, and he won the AL Cy Young Award in 2012.

​Dallas Keuchel has 101 wins, 91 losses and a 3.98 ERA in 11 years in the majors, after pitching poorly for 3 teams in 2022, he is currently an unsigned free agent.  Keuchel won the A.L. Cy Young Award in 2015, when he had 20 wins and only 8 losses with a 2.48 ERA.  He is a 2-time All-Star, and he is also a very good fielder with five Gold Glove Awards to his credit.

*Based on stats and status prior to start of 2023 season.

Click here for 2023 updates

an honor he has held for most of the past decade.​  He starts the 2023 season, his 16th year with the Dodgers, with 197 wins (4th among active pitchers), only 87 losses, and a .694 winning percentage (1st active and 5th all-time).  He has a 2.49 ERA (1st active / 41st all-time) and he has 2807 strikeouts in 2581 innings pitched.

Chris Sale has pitched 11 years in the majors, the first 7 with the White Sox since then with the Boston Red Sox.  Sale has 114 wins and only 74 losses for a .606 winning percentage.  He has a 3.03 ERA with 2059 strikeouts in 1672 innings.  Sale is a 7 time All-Star and he currently ranks 2nd all-time in strikeouts per 9 Innings, and 1st all-time in strikeouts to walks ratio.

Current Best Lefthanded Starting Pitchers

​Kershaw is a nine-time All-Star, a three-time Cy Young Award winner (2011, 2013 & 2014), plus two 2nd place and a 3rd place finishes), and he was the NL Most Valuable Player in 2014.  He has led the NL in ERA five times (including four in a row from 2011-2014), and led in strikeouts three times, and he seems like a sure bet to make the Hall of Fame when his career is over.

Madison Bumgarner won 119 games in his first 11 years in the majors but has only 15 more wins in 3 years since moving from the Giants to the Diamondbacks.  He enters 2023 with 134 wins, 123 losses, and a 3.42 ERA.  He has 2060 strikeouts in 2192 innings pitched.  He is a 4 time All-Star and a 3-time World Series Champion and was MVP of both the N.L. Championship Series and the World Series in 2014, (21 innings with only one run allowed in 3 WS games).