As we celebrated all the southpaws out there on Left-Handers Day, it begged the question, “Who is the best left handed hitter in MLB history?”
Yesterday, Aug. 13, we celebrated Left-Handers Day to honor all the lefties out there in the world.
In the sports world, southpaws tend to dominate in every sport. You have Bill Russell and Willis Reed on the hardwood, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier on the ice, and Randy Johnson and Sandy Koufax on the mound. But, perhaps, where lefties are best is in the batter’s box.
Throughout MLB history, hitters on the left side of the plate have been sensational. Whether it’s 3,000 hit Ichiro or 762 home run Barry Bonds, the best left handed hitters have simply been dominant.
Determining the best of the best lefty bats is a nearly impossible task. There are 20 guys who are capable of cracking the top five. However, there are players who put themselves ahead of the pack and earned a spot in the top five
Let’s take a look at who made the cut.
Begin Slideshow
5. Stan Musial
While Albert Pujols dominated the right side of the plate during his time in St. Louis, you would have to go way back to find the Cardinals best hitter on the other side.
Musial, known as “Stan the Man,” was an icon for his generation of ball players. A career .331 hitter, Stan amassed over 3,600 hits and had a total of 475 career home runs. Musial also lead the league in doubles and triples eight and five times, respectively.
Musial did it all. His short, quick swing combined with exceptional power turned him into one of the best all around hitters in the entire sport.
It’s tough to argue where he stands on this list.
Next: The Iron Horse
4. Lou Gehrig
The fact that Gehrig made this list just shows how talented he was.
Before he was struck with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he was one heck of a baseball talent. He averaged a video game like 37 home runs and 149 RBI over an 162 game span. He slapped over 2,700 hits and smashed 483 home runs in his shortened career. He did this all batting behind legend Babe Ruth, only adding to his unquestioned greatness.
That’s a hall of fame career in itself, and I haven’t even mentioned the streak yet.
Yes, the streak. The original iron man played 2,130 consecutive games in his career before he retired from baseball due to his disease, calling himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
He sits at number four and that’s only because of his illness. Imagine what Gehrig could have done if he continued another four to five years of tearing the cover off the ball. He would have certainly found himself higher on the list, possibly at the top.
Next: The Georgia Peach
3. Ty Cobb
Cobb definitely wasn’t the nicest person in the world. Actually, he’s regarded as one of the meanest people to ever play in the major leagues.
But boy could this guy hit.
Cobb played in the dead ball era, so it’s hard to compare him to some of the other players on this list, but his numbers are something else.
He’s one of two people to record 4,000 hits (Pete Rose), won eight slugging titles, hit .366, swiped 897 bags, possessed a career .945 OPS, and put up 1,933 RBI…all in the dead ball era.
The despicable lefty recorded all types of hits. He would run out infield choppers to shortstop while also hustling to third on gappers to right center field.
Cobb is far and away the best player of the dead ball generation and is arguably the best position player to ever play the game.
Next: The Splendid Splinter
2. Ted Williams
Am I crazy for putting Ted at number two? Like Cobb, Ted wasn’t winning awards for being a nice guy, but Williams finds himself at number two because he smacked the ball. His numbers are literally unbelievable.
Let’s take a closer look.
It’s weird because Williams never eclipsed 200 hits in a season, but he is, to this day, the hardest guy to get out in Major League Baseball history. The best Red Sox player of all time had an .OBP of at least .490 from 1941-1949. He walked over 145 times in each of those years except for 1948.
And he wasn’t just hitting singles.
Williams crushed at least 25 bombs in 14 seasons and contains a career slugging percentage of .634. He owns a career 1.116 OPS, good for second all time. His .482 lifetime .OBP is the best in MLB history.
He was a slugger who found a way to get on base nearly every other at bat. So why is he not number one?
Here’s why…
Next: The Sultan Of Swat
1. Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth; The Great Bambino; The Sultan of Swat; The King of Crash; The Colosus of Clout; The Big Bam – The nicknames speak for itself. Babe Ruth instilled fear into pitchers like no one else in history. He is the most dominant player to ever take step in the box.
The fact that Ruth could have been a hall of fame pitcher just shows how ridiculously talented he was. For today, though, let’s focus on what he did at the plate.
The Great Bambino absolutely obliterated the ball when he made contact. He clubbed at least 40 home runs in 11 seasons and he totaled 700 homers before anybody had even eclipsed 400. He collected over 2,000 career walks, had an .OBP of .474, and his lifetime .OPS of 1.164 remains the best of all time.
Ruth is still the face of baseball and is regarded by many as the best player in MLB history. Baseball is not what is today without the Babe. He is possibly the most decorated human being in sports history.