Best 7 MLB Left-Handed Pitchers of All Time
Left-handed pitchers have always been unique in the game of baseball. Think about it: Their delivery creates different angles, their approach often disrupts hitters’ timing, and right-handed batters especially struggle against them. The best lefties have made a lasting impact on the game by consistently dominating hitting lineups and changing how pitching is approached.
This list highlights seven left-handed pitchers who excelled in all the ways that matter—wins, postseason performance, ERA, and overall influence on the game. Ready to see who made the cut? Let’s break it down.
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Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax owned the mound throughout the 1960s, striking out hitters at a pace few could touch. In just 12 years, he notched 2,396 strikeouts and maintained a career ERA of 2.76—numbers that tell you everything you need to know. When Koufax was locked in, batters knew they were in for a long day.
His skill wasn’t just about power; it was precision and timing that set him apart. Koufax threw four no-hitters, including a perfect game in 1965, and earned three Cy Young Awards along with two World Series MVPs. He took home the National League MVP in 1963 and led the league in ERA six times. Look, even though arthritis forced him to retire at 30, Koufax’s dominance during that stretch easily cements him as one of baseball’s all-time southpaws.
Randy Johnson
If you wanted intimidation on the mound, Randy Johnson delivered. Towering at 6’10”, he was impossible to ignore. His fastball regularly topped 100 mph, and his slider had hitters swinging at air or frozen in place. Few pitchers combined size and skill like Johnson did. Over his 22-year career, Johnson struck out 4,875 batters, ranking second in MLB history.
Winning five Cy Young Awards wasn’t handed to him; Johnson dominated baseball for more than two decades by mixing raw power with pinpoint control. Hitters dreaded stepping into the batter’s box, knowing they were facing one of the league’s greatest. Few lefties have ever commanded a mound the way Johnson did—his combination of size, skill, and longevity is why he belongs among the best.
Warren Spahn
When durability meets skill, few pitchers have combined those traits better than Warren Spahn. Over a career spanning 21 years, Spahn notched 363 wins—the most ever by a left-handed pitcher, and finished with a 3.09 ERA. Spahn thrived by using pinpoint control, smart pitch selection, and an ability to outthink batters to wear them down over long outings.
Spahn’s consistency was no accident. His 17 All-Star appearances and 1957 Cy Young Award prove that. Even as he pitched well into his 40s, he remained effective and reliable, setting a standard for longevity and toughness that was really not seen in this era. Simply put, Spahn’s blend of stamina, skill, and baseball IQ earns him a place among the greatest lefties in MLB history.
Whitey Ford
They didn’t call him “The Chairman of the Board” because he looked good in a suit—Whitey Ford pitched like he owned he owned the meeting. Look, he wasn’t going to blow you away with a 100 mph heater or catch you with some weird spin on a pitch, but he didn’t need to. He knew how to disrupt timing, hit spots, and frustrate hitters into getting themselves out.
He finished his 16-year career with a 236-106 record and still ranks fourth all-time for winning percentage of any modern starter (.690), all while wearing Yankee pinstripes. In the postseason? He was even more of a problem—winning six World Series championships, two World Series MVPs and held a 2.71 ERA. Whether you like the Yankees or not, you can’t deny Ford’s success on the mound. And truth is, he did it better than just about any left-hander who’s ever stepped on one.
Lefty Grove
Before the Cy Young Award was even a thing, Lefty Grove was already making a case to win several of them. In the 1920s and 30s, Grove was a menace for opposing batting lineups with a fastball that made hitters question whether they wanted to step into the batter's box or not.
Grove’s 3.06 ERA over 17 seasons doesn’t tell the whole story. He racked up a 300-141 record, good for a .680 winning percentage, which still ranks eighth in major league history. Grove wasn’t just effective, he was relentless, posting seven 13-win seasons and dominating hitters during his peak. In an era when the game was still settling into what it would become, Grove was setting the standard for pitchers to come.
Tom Glavine
If you had to describe Tom Glavine in three words—smooth, methodical, effective. He was the kind of pitcher who made hitters feel like they were guessing against a magician. His changeup was so good it might as well have been illegal, keeping batters off balance for the better part of two decades, including plenty of postseason moments.
Glavine’s 305 career wins easily put him among the best southpaws in league history, and his two Cy Young Awards are just the cherry on top. He may not have been the flashiest lefty to toe the rubber, but his IQ and accuracy made him one of the most successful left-handed pitchers to ever step on the diamond.
Steve Carlton
Last but certainly not least—Steve Carlton. Carlton brought a mix of power and deception that helped define pitching in the 1970s and late 1980s. He was a strikeout machine, racking up over 4,100 strikeouts, and a lot of that can be credited to his slider. Carlton threw a devastating slider with a drop so sharp it made hitters think it was a breaking ball.
Winning four Cy Young Awards and a pitching Triple Crown, he proved time and again he was in a league of his own. Every time he took the mound, batters already knew they were likely to come up empty-handed at the plate. That’s why Carlton still stands as one of the best lefty pitchers to ever do it.
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