The greatest left-handed pitchers in baseball history

Being left-handed in a right-handed world isn’t easy, unless of course you can throw a 95 mph fastball. In that case it isn’t just easy, it’s wildly lucrative. Lefties make it to the Major three times more frequently than righties and are rewarded handsomely for their ability to mow down batters on both sides of the plate.

Aug. 13 is National Left Handers Day, and we're celebrating the occasion by spotlighting the top five southpaws in Major League Baseball history.

5. Clayton Kershaw

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Accolades: 8x All-Star, 3x Cy Young, 1x MVP, 1x World Series champion
Years: active: 2008-present

It’s only a matter of time before Clayton Kershaw has his ticket punched for Cooperstown. The Dodgers ace is an eight-time All-Star and five-time ERA leader who is one of only 11 players to win an MVP award and a Cy Young in the same season.

The knock on Kershaw for many years was that he wilted in the postseason, but he changed that narrative for good in 2020, when he went 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA against the Tampa Bay Rays to help L.A. secure its first World Series title in 32 years.

4. Steve Carlton

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins
Accolades: Hall of Fame, 10x All-Star, 4x Cy Young, 2x World Series champion
Years: active: 1965-1988

Steve Carlton isn’t the only pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards, but he was the first. "Lefty" earned his four trophies during an impressive 11-year span with the Philadelphia Phillies in which he went 208-122 with a dazzling 2.96 ERA and led the National League in wins four times.

By the time he hung up his cleats in 1988, Carlton had the second most career wins and second most career strikeouts of any left-hander. A case can be made here for Lefty Grove, but we’re giving the nod instead to Carlton because of his longevity and the superior quality of competition he faced.

3. Warren Spahn

Team: Boston/Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants
Accolades: Hall of Fame, 17x All-Star, 1x Cy Young, 1x World Series champion
Years: active: 1942-1965

Warren Spahn’s pedestrian 3.09 ERA likely won’t bowl you over, but his 363 career wins certainly should. The crafty Buffalo native won more games than any left-hander in MLB history, and led the National League in victories eight times over a 13-year stretch from 1949-1961.

As impressive as Spahn was on the bump, he was even better behind enemy lines. "Spahnie" enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served with distinction at Battle of the Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge, two of the most critical offensives of WWII. The longtime Brave received the Presidential Unit Citation for his heroics and was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in battle.

2. Randy Johnson

Teams: Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants
Accolades: Hall of Fame, 10x All-Star, 5x Cy Young, 1x World Series champion
Years: active: 1988-2009

There was a condition that ran rampant in the Major Leagues during the 1990s known as "Randy Johnson-itis." You won’t find it in The New England Journal of Medicine, but it was a genuine affliction whereby opposing batters suddenly and inexplicably fell ill the day they were supposed to face Johnson.

Frankly, who can blame them? "The Big Unit" was a towering 6’10” flamethrower whose fastball once clocked in at 102 MPH. Johnson used that menacing pitch – along with his devastating slider – to keep batters well away from the plate with their bats firmly planted on their shoulders.

The 10-time All-Star was at his best in 2002, when he led the National League in wins (24), ERA (2.32), and strikeouts (334) and earned the fourth Cy Young Award of his decorated career.

1. Sandy Koufax

Teams: Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
Accolades: Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 1x MVP, 3x World Series champion
Years: active: 1955-1966

Was there really any doubt who would claim the top spot on our list? No pitcher has ever enjoyed a better five-year stretch than Koufax, who compiled a sparkling 111-34 record with a minuscule 1.95 ERA from 1962-66. That span included five All-Star appearances, three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, and two World Series titles.

Unfortunately Koufax’s career was cut short by arthritis, and "The Left Arm of God" retired following the 1966 season after posting a 27-9 record to go along with a career-best 1.73 ERA. His premature departure likely shaved off 100 additional wins from his resume, but if you have to go, you might as well go out on top.