The 10 best left-handed pitchers in MLB today

Although left-handers make up only a small percentage of the population, a number of left-handers have managed to make it big in the major leagues.

Pitchers who throw with their left hands were a novelty at the start of the game, but they have since become one of the best pitchers in the game.

Teams are always looking for an edge, and having a left-handed ace gives them an advantage when facing a team with lots of right-handed hitters.

Prior to the twentieth century, there were few left-handed pitchers in the major leagues. Those who pitched in the major leagues haven’t fared as well as their right-handed counterparts.

The fact that teams only have a few pitchers on their roster contributes to the lack of left-handers. There was no reason they needed a southpaw capable of starting multiple games if they had an elite right-hander.

Here are the top 10 left-handed pitchers in MLB right now.

1. Max Fried

Max Fried is a Major League Baseball pitcher who plays for the Atlanta Braves. He is nicknamed “Maximus”. (MLB). Midway through the season, Fried was named to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game roster for 2022.

Fried was named the National League Gold Glove Award winner at the pitch for the third straight time, becoming the first Braves pitcher since Greg Maddux to do so.

The Atlanta Braves activated LHP Max Fried from the 7-day injured list on August 18, 2022.

Max was named a finalist for the prestigious 2022 National League Cy Young Award in November.

2. Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw has been the best left-handed pitcher in baseball for the past decade and seems like a perfect candidate for the Hall of Fame at the end of his career. He entered his 15th season with the Los Angeles Dodgers with 185 wins (4th among active pitchers), 84 losses and a .688 winning percentage. (1st among active pitchers and 7th all-time). He has 2,670 strikeouts in 2,454 innings pitched and an average of 2.49 (1st among active pitchers and 42nd all-time).

Kershaw is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner (plus two second-place and three third-place finishes), and the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2014. He led the NL in ERA at five times (including four times in a row from 2011 to 2014) and attacks three times. Kershaw made ten playoff appearances during his career with the Dodgers, and his two wins in the 2020 World Series win over Tampa Bay silenced those who had criticized his postseason work.

3. Julio Urias

Julio Urias

The Dodgers’ rotation is full of aces. However, incumbents like Walker Beuhler and Dustin May were injured, which forced others to take over as top-tier starters. Urias was already one of their best players, and his 2022 season demonstrated that. He finished with an ERA of 2.16, a WHIP of 0.96 and 166 strikeouts, the best in the NHL.

He’s only walked 41 batters in 175 innings, and Urias is just 25 and in his seventh season. Despite the Dodgers’ postseason slump, Urias will provide rotational stability.

4. Josh Hader

Josh Hader

Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader, arguably the best relief pitcher at the moment, ranks a little lower in the left-hander rankings.

Hader’s 2020 ERA was 3.79, which was below average by his standards, but he still led the National League in saves. (13). Hader was twice named National League reliever of the year and appeared in two All-Star games in just four seasons.

The southern southpaw sensation has a career 2.54 ERA and .858 WHIP, while hitting 15.3 batters per nine innings.

5. David Price

David Price

David Taylor Price is a free agent in the American Professional League of Baseball. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Price first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft, and he made his MLB debut in September 2008.

David Price pitched for 13 years in the major leagues for five different teams, and this will be his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Price has 155 wins and 82 losses for a .654 winning percentage (3rd among active pitchers and 32nd all-time) and a 3.33 ERA in 2,103 innings pitched, with 2,039 strikeouts. He has won the All-Star award five times and the American League Cy Young Award in 2012.

6. Blake Snell

Blake Snell

Blake Snell was born on December 4, 1992. Blake Snell was drafted in the first round (52nd overall) of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. (Shoreline, WA). It is in its eighth season.

Blake Snell pitched in the major leagues for six years and is in his second season with San Diego after five years with Tampa Bay. Snell has 49 wins, 30 losses and a 3.42 save average in 684 innings pitched, with 818 strikeouts. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 2018 with 21 wins, 5 losses and a 1.89 average.

7. Hyun-jin Ryu

Hyun-jin Ryu

Ryu Hyun Jin is a South Korean professional baseball player. Koreans call him the Monster of Korean Sports Village because of his talent and great contributions to Korean sports.

In 2006, Ryu Hyun Jin started participating in professional competitions. During the first season, the “monster” Ryu Hyun Jin boasts an incredible record of 18 wins, 6 losses and 205 strikeouts. His impressive performances earned him the Player of the Year award and Rookie of the Year award.

Unlike other players, Ryu Hyun Jin played for seven years in the Korea Open. After 7 years with KBO All-Star, Ryu Hyun Jin officially left the league and transferred to MLB to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers team in 2013.

In 2016, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

On December 27, 2019, Ryu Hyun Jin plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.

8. Madison Bumgarner

Madison Bumgarner

Madison Bumgarner has been a major league pitcher for 13 years and is in his third season with the Arizona Diamondbacks after 11 years with the San Francisco Giants. Bumgarner has 127 wins and 106 losses in 2,034 innings pitched, a 3.31 ERA and 1,948 strikeouts.

He was a four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion and was named the National League Championship Series and World Series Most Valuable Player in 2014. (He pitched 21 innings and only let pass only one point in 3 games of the WS).

9. Framber Valdez

Framber Valdez

The Astros seem to have an abundance of talent, but their rotation is just as strong as their line. Valdez, who had the best season of his young career, is one of the reasons. With 201 innings pitched, he holds the AL record.

He also had a 2.82 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, and was six out of 200. His 3.14 SIERA ranked him sixth in the American League and ninth in baseball. Valdez also posted a fantastic 0.5 HR/9, the best in the American League. Valdez is yet to win a ring since his debut in 2018, but he has a great chance to do so here in 2022.

10. Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman

All baseball fans remember the craze around young Aroldis Chapman between 2010 and 2012. He was not only an excellent pitcher back then (2.38 ERA), but he also looked nearly impossible to hit.

Aroldis Chapman was drafted as a free agent by the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. Chapman had no knowledge of Major League Baseball prior to his signing. In fact, the hard-throwing southpaw told reporters he had never watched a Major League Baseball game on television in Cuba. Chapman was the starting pitcher for the Sabuesos de Holguin (Holgun Hounds) in the CNS league from 2005 to 2009. He struck out 365 batters in 327 innings pitched. Chapman only allowed 19 home runs in those innings.

Chapman achieved two major milestones in 2021: the 1,000th strikeout and the 300th career save. He finished the season with 30 saves, a 3.36 ERA (his career low since being converted to a closer), a 1.314 WHIP and increased his 3.9 BB/9 in 2019 to 6.1 in 2021.

Conclusion

Here are the top 10 best left-handed pitchers in MLB history. With the new era came a whole new generation of drummers whose power grew year by year. Home run records are broken, then broken again.

Pitchers must change their game to deal with these colossal bats. Pitchers have had to deal with hitters who can take them deep every time they get close to the plate, from Max Fried to Aroldis Chapman.