5 Best Lefty Pitchers in Every Baseball 'Era'

Lefties make up a small part of the population and yet a number of southpaws have found success at the major league level.

Pitchers who threw with their left hand were originally a novelty in the games early days, but they have since been found amongst the ranks of the game's best pitchers.

Teams are always looking for an advantage and having a left-handed ace is certainly an edge when they are facing a team that has a number of right-handed hitters.

Pre-1900

Before the 20th Century, there were not many left-handed pitchers in the majors. The ones that did pitch in the majors did not see as much success as their right-handed counterparts.

Part of the reason for the lack of lefties was due to the fact that teams only had a few pitchers on their roster. If they had an elite right hander, then there was no reason for them to need a lefty who could start a number of games.

Photo Credit: 19th Century Baseball

5) Ted Breitenstein

Career Stats: 160-170, 4.03 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 893 K, 110 ERA+ (11 seasons)

The only way that Ted Breitenstein could have had a better first major league start would have been if he had pitched a perfect game. In his first start, Breitenstein walked just one batter and threw a no-hitter.

Two years later, in 1893, Breitenstein would lead the National League in ERA. Breitenstein was at it again in 1898 when he threw his second career no-hitter.

4) Frank Killen

Career Stats: 164-131, 3.78 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 725 K, 109 ERA+ (10 seasons)

Frank Killen had varying degrees of success during his career, but there were a few seasons where he was outstanding. For a few years, Killen was the ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates' pitching staff.

Twice in his career Killen led the American League in wins. He won 36 games in 1893 and 30 games in 1896.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

3) Matt Kilroy

Career Stats: 141-133, 3.47 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 1170 K, 107 ERA+ (10 seasons)

After Matt Kilroy's first two seasons in the major leagues, it looked like he would be a superstar. He set an MLB record with 513 strikeouts in a season during his rookie year.

Kilroy had a disappointing 29-34 record his first year. The following season, Kilroy would lead the American Association in wins with 46. Following these two years, Kilroy's star power quickly faded as he could not match his earlier success.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

2) Jesse Tannehill

Career Stats: 197-117, 2.80 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 944 K, 114 ERA+ (15 seasons)

Jesse Tannehill's career spanned both the pre-1900 era and the dead-ball era. He had some great years in each era. In the pre-1900 era, Tannehill managed to win at least 20 games in three consecutive seasons.

One of the most impressive feats in Tannehill's career is when he went 231 innings in 1901 and did not surrender a home run.

1) Ed Morris

Career Stats: 171-122, 2.82 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 1217 K, 115 ERA+ (7 seasons)

Even though his career lasted just seven seasons, Ed Morris was the best left-handed pitcher of the pre-1900's. He had a few seasons where he was among the game's elite. During his rookie season, Morris threw a no-hitter.

Morris won at least 34 games in each of the first three years of his career. In 1886, Morris led the American Association with 41 wins. He finished in the top ten of a number of statistical categories during multiple seasons in his career. 

Dead-Ball Era (1900-1919)

Once 1900 rolled around, the game began to change. No longer were hitters dominating. Pitchers were able to assert their dominance on the mound.

As a result, scoring decreased and so did the league ERA. A new generation of pitchers included some of the top ten pitchers in MLB history.

Photo Credit: Ballparks of Baseball

5) Hippo Vaughn

Career Stats: 178-137, 2.49 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 1416 K, 120 ERA+ (13 seasons) 

Hippo Vaughn earned his nickname because of his size, but he earned his reputation through his outstanding performances on the pitching mound.

While pitching for the National League Champion Chicago Cubs in 1918, Vaughn was able to win the NL Pitching Triple Crown. He followed up that season by leading the NL in strikeouts the following year.

4) Noodles Hahn

Career Stats: 130-94, 2.55 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 917 K, 132 ERA+ (8 seasons)

Aside from having an outstanding nickname, Noodles Hahn was an outstanding major league pitcher. He had a short career, but Hahn was fantastic when he was on the mound.

While he only pitched for eight years, Hahn led the National League in strikeouts three times. Hahn also broke the 20-win mark four times during his career. During the second season of his career, Hahn threw a no-hitter. The most amazing fact about Hahn is that out of his 231 career starts, he went all nine innings in 212 of them.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

3) Wilbur Cooper

Career Stats: 216-178, 2.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 1252 K, 116 ERA+ (15 seasons) 

Wilbur Cooper was one of the first truly elite left-handed pitchers in the majors. His name was seen near the top of the list for a number of early records held by lefties.

Cooper became the first southpaw in National League history to win 200 games. While much of Cooper's success came during the dead-ball era, he also managed to have a few good years once the live-ball era began.

2) Rube Waddell

Careers Stats: 193-143, 2.16 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2316 K, 135 ERA+ (13 seasons)

There was a six year period during the dead ball era when Rube Waddell dominated the majors. He led the American League in strikeouts for each of these seasons and he won the AL Pitching Triple Crown in 1905.

Making use of a fastball, curve ball and screwball, Waddell was virtually unhittable on many nights. Waddell has the tenth lowest career ERA in MLB history. He is often noted for his personality quirks as well.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

1) Eddie Plank

Career Stats: 326-194, 2.35 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2246 K, 122 ERA+ (17 seasons)

Eddie Plank is the first left-handed pitcher to reach 300 wins and he now ranks third all-time in wins by lefties. The Hall of Famer still holds the record for most shutouts by a lefty with 69.

Plank is considered not only to be one of the best pitchers from the dead-ball era, but as one of the top-20 pitchers of all-time.

Live-Ball Era (1920-1945)

When Babe Ruth and others emerged as power hitters beginning in 1920, the game of baseball changed yet again. No longer, were pitchers able to dominate hitters.

Home runs totals began to increase and more and more runs began to score each game. Pitchers needed to make adjustments if they wanted to keep their ERAs low and their win totals high.

5) Eppa Rixey

Career Stats: 266-251, 3.15 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 1350 K, 115 ERA+ (21 seasons)

At the start of his career, Eppa Rixey was plagued by inconsistency. One great season would be followed by one in which he struggled. Once he straightened things out, Rixey became one of the best pitchers in the live-ball era.

Rixey would only lead the National League in wins once during his career, but he had four seasons in which he won at least 20 games. The Hall of Fame Veterans' Committee honored Rixey by selecting him to the Hall of Fame in 1963.

4) Hal Newhouser

Career Stats: 207-150, 3.06 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 1796 K, 130 ERA+ (17 seasons)

During the three year stretch from 1944 until 1946, Hal Newhouser was the best pitcher in baseball and arguable the best player in the game. He led the National League in wins each of those seasons, in ERA twice, and he won two AL MVP Awards.

The only reason that Newhouser did not win the AL MVP Award for a third consecutive year in 1946 was because Ted Williams had an outstanding season. In 1945, Newhouser won the American League Pitching Triple Crown. He was also played in six All-Star Games during his career.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

3) Lefty Gomez

Career Stats: 189-102, 3.34 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 1468 K, 126 ERA+ (14 seasons)

It is only fitting that on a list of the top left-handed pitchers in MLB history that there is at least one pitcher who earned the nickname Lefty during his career. Lefty Gomez was a key part of the New York Yankees' success in the live-ball era.

For seven consecutive years, Gomez was selected to the American League All-Star team. He also won the American League Pitching Triple Crown twice in his career.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

2) Carl Hubbell

Career Stats: 253-154, 2.98 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 1677 K, 130 ERA+ (16 seasons)

The most memorable moment of Carl Hubbell's career came not during the regular season or the playoffs, but during the 1934 All-Star Game. He struck out five future Hall of Famers (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin) in order.

That was not the only consecutive streak that Hubbell is known for. He won 24 consecutive decisions at one point in his career. The two-time NL MVP and nine-time All-Star was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

1) Lefty Grove

Career Stats: 300-141, 3.06 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2266 K, 148 ERA+ (17 seasons)

Lefty Grove's name always comes up in the discussion about the greatest left-handed pitcher of all-time. His career certainly has a number of merits that make him worthy of this praise.

Grove won the AL Pitching Triple Crown twice in his career, led the AL in wins five times, had the lowest ERA nine times, and was the AL strikeout king for the first seven years of his career. It is amazing that he only won one MVP Award.

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Integration Era (1946-1960)

In 1946, Major League Baseball once again changed for the better. Jackie Robinson played in his first game and an African-American man had finally played in the nation's premier baseball league for the first time since Moses Fleetwood Walker's last game in 1884.

There were a number of outstanding players that had been playing in the Negro Leagues and they slowly began to reach the majors. Eventually, baseball fans were able to see the best of the best playing every day.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

5) Curt Simmons

Career Stats: 193-183, 3.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 1697 K, 111 ERA+ (20 seasons)

Curt Simmons was one of the best left-handed pitchers to take the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies. He struggled in his first few years with the team, but quickly was able to turn into a solid pitcher.

Simmons never posted outstanding win totals, but he was selected to three All-Star Games during his career.

4) Herb Score

Career Stats: 55-46, 3.36 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 837 K, 118 ERA+ (8 seasons)

Herb Score could have been talked about with the top pitchers of all-time. However, during his third season in the majors, Score took a line drive to the face in a game against the New York Yankees and he was never the same.

Score was quickly becoming one of the game's elite pitchers before he was hurt. He was an All-Star his first two seasons and led the AL in strikeouts both years. Score also led the AL in strikeouts both seasons.

After suffering a litany of other injuries, Score retired from baseball at the age of 29. Other players had nothing but praise about Score.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

3) Billy Pierce

Career Stats: 211-169, 3.27 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 1999 K, 119 ERA+ (18 seasons)

Billy Pierce is one of the best pitchers in Chicago White Sox history. He spent 13 years of his career with the team and had a lot of success with them. He still holds a number of team records.

Pierce led the American League in each wins, ERA and strikeouts one time during his career. The seven time All-Star managed to put together a long and successful career.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

2) Whitey Ford

Career Stats: 236-106, 2.75 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 1956 K, 133 ERA+ (16 seasons)

The New York Yankees have had a number of elite pitchers don their pinstripes over their storied existence. One of the best players to ever do so was Whitey Ford.

A 10-time All-Star, Ford was absolutely dominant in 1961. He won the AL Cy Young Award and the World Series MVP Award that year. Ford led the AL in wins three times during his career and led it in ERA twice.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

1) Warren Spahn

Career Stats: 363-245, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2583 K, 119 ERA+ (21 seasons)

Warren Spahn is the best left-handed pitcher of all-time according to some. He holds the record for most wins by a left-handed pitcher. There is an award given out in his honor, the Spahn Award, which goes to the best left-handed pitcher in each league.

There is a good chance that Spahn could have reached 400 wins had his career not been interrupted by World War II. Spahn was a 17-time All-Star and led the National League in wins eight times.

Expansion Era (1961-1976)

In this period of time, there were seven new teams that joined the majors. That meant that there were a number of more roster spots available and more players could now reach the big league.

The Kansas City Royals, California Angels, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres all joined the MLB and this led to the league's talent being more widely dispersed.

5) Jim Kaat

Career Stats: 283-237, 3.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2461 K, 108 ERA+ (25 seasons)

There are many people that will argue that Jim Kaat is one of the biggest Hall of Fame snubs in recent history. He has some of the credentials that make him Hall of Fame worthy, but his potential inclusion is an interesting debate.

Kaat had a few very good seasons, including one in 1966 when he led the American League with 25 wins. He was not only good on the mound, but he was also good with his glove. Kaat won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves during his career.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference

4) Vida Blue

Career Stats: 209-161, 3.27 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 2175 K, 108 ERA+ (17 seasons)

As a 21-year-old, Vida Blue captured the attention of the baseball world. He went 24-8 with a 1.92 ERA and would win the American League MVP and Cy Young Awards. This was not the first time he had their attention, as he had thrown a no-hitter the year before.

Blue would never match that level of success again, but he did have two other seasons in which he won at least 20 games. The six-time All-Star is known as one of the hardest throwing left-handers of all-time.

3) Mickey Lolich

Career Stats: 217-191, 3.44 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 2832 K, 105 ERA+ (16 seasons)

If you take a look at the Detroit Tigers' team record book, Mickey Lolich's name will be all over the place. He owns multiple Tigers records such as career strikeouts and shutouts and he is third in Tigers' history in wins.

Lolich is best remembered for winning 25 games in 1971. However, his crowing accomplishment has to the the 1968 World Series. Lolich threw three complete games, winning all of them. He was named the World Series MVP.

2) Jerry Koosman

Career Stats: 222-209, 3.36 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2556 K, 110 ERA+ (19 seasons)

When the entered the league in 1962, the New York Mets were the worst team in baseball. They began to turn things around and eventually won the World Series in 1969. Jerry Koosman played a big part in this World Series victory.

Koosman won two games during that World Series. He was also selected to the All-Star team that season and the year before. Koosman also helped lead the Mets back to the World Series in 1973.

Photo Credit: Mets Merized Online

1) Sandy Koufax

Career Stats: 165-87, 2.76 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2396 K, 131 ERA+ (12 seasons)

Injuries limited Sandy Koufax to 12 seasons in the majors and he was forced to retire in the middle of his prime. Koufax is another pitcher that has a legitimate claim to being the best left-handed pitcher of all-time.

He was the best pitcher in the majors in the four years before he retired. Koufax won three NL Cy Young Awards and three NL Pitching Triple Crowns. The two-time World Series MVP also threw three no-hitters and a perfect game.

Photo Credit: Topps

Free Agency Era (1976-1994)

Once players were able to move around, the game of baseball once again changed. There was a new dynamic as players could choose where they wanted to play once their contracts expired.

Pitchers could move to teams that had elite lineups. This would help them on their quests to improve their win totals from year to year.

Photo Credit: Real Sports Heroes

5) Frank Viola

Photo Credit: 176-150, 3.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 1844 K, 112 ERA+ (15 seasons)

Frank Viola had a lot of success with the Minnesota Twins. In 1988, he won 24 games and the American Cy Young Award. This followed a season in which he won two World Series games and the World Series MVP Award.

Viola was eventually traded to the New York Mets where he had two more successful years. His career began to wind down after that, but he is considered to be one of the best lefties in Twins history.

4) Ron Guidry

Career Stats: 170-91, 3.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 1778 K, 119 ERA+ (14 seasons)

Ron Guidry began his career as a relief pitcher before the New York Yankees converted him to a starter. This move paid off almost immediately as Guidry won the AL Cy Young Award in 1978 when he won 25 games.

During his career, Guidry was selected to four All-Star games and he had a number of other All-Star caliber seasons. He led the AL in wins twice and in ERA twice.

3) Jimmy Key

Career Stats: 186-117, 3.51 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 1538 K, 122 ERA+ (15 seasons)

Just like Ron Guidry, Jimmy Key started his career as a relief pitcher and once he became a starter, it was apparent that the switch was the right move.

Key was selected to four All-Star Games during his career. He also was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays' World Series winning team in 1992 and the New York Yankees' 1996 World Championship team.

2) Tommy John

Career Stats: 288-231, 3.34 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2245 K, 111 ERA+ (26 seasons)

Tommy John's career looked like it would be over in 1974 when he tore his ulnar collateral ligament. Doctors performed an innovative surgery that allowed John to eventually return to the majors.

Amazingly, John returned to the level that he pitched at before he got hurt and he arguably was even better once he returned. John was a four time All-Star and pitched until he was 46.

1) Steve Carlton

Career Stats: 329-244, 3.22 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 4136 K, 115 ERA+ (24 seasons)

Steve Carlton played on a number of poor Philadelphia Phillies teams. He won almost half of their games in 1972. Carlton actually led the league in losses twice during his career despite the fact that he had a above average ERA in one of those seasons.

The four-time NL Cy Young Award winner was absolutely dominant during his time in the majors. Carlton led the NL in wins four times. He was also selected to nine All-Star Games and he won the NL Pitching Triple Crown in 1972.

Steroid Era (1995-Present)

With the Steroid Era came a whole new generation of hitters who saw their power production increase from year to year. Home run records were broken and then broken again.

Pitchers had to adapt their game to face off against these behemoths at the plate. From Barry Bonds to Mark McGwire, pitchers went up against hitters that had the ability to take them deep every single time that they stepped to the plate.

5) Andy Pettitte

Career Stats: 240-138, 3.88 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 2251 K, 117 ERA+ (16 seasons)

If the question was posed about what pitcher had the most wins between 2000-2009, most people would not be able to give the correct answer. Andy Pettitte won 148 games during this time period, the most out of any pitcher.

Pettitte not only had success during the regular season. He was outstanding in the playoffs. Pettitte was a member of five World Series Champion New York Yankees teams and won a major league record 19 postseason games.

4) Johan Santana

Career Stats (As of 9/27/11): 133-69, 3.10 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 1877 K, 142 ERA+ (11 seasons)

By age 27, Johan Santana had already picked up his second American League Cy Young Award. With a dominant change up and a number of other pitches in his arsenal, Santana was able to dominant the American League.

He led the AL in strikeouts three times during his career. In 2006, when Santana won the Cy Young, he also won the American League Pitching Triple Crown.

3) CC Sabathia

Career Stats (As of 9/27/11): 176-96, 3.51 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 2017 K, 125 ERA+ (11 seasons)

CC Sabathia has put himself in a position to be able to make a run at the 300 win club before his career ends. Sabathia has seemingly gotten better as the years have gone on.

During the 2007 season, Sabathia won the AL Cy Young Award as a member of the Cleveland Indians. He has come close to picking up another one during his tenure with the New York Yankees.

2) Tom Glavine

Career Stats: 305-203, 3.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2607 K, 118 ERA+ (22 seasons)

For years, Tom Glavine was one of the three aces of the Atlanta Braves pitching staff along with John Smoltz and Greg Maddux. He was the one lefty at the top of the Braves rotation.

Glavine won two Cy Young Awards during his career and led the National League in wins five times. He picked up his 300th win with a team that he had beaten a number of times in his career, the New York Mets.

1) Randy Johnson

Career Stats: 303-166, 3.29 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 4875 K, 136 ERA+ (22 seasons)

Randy Johnson was a key player for both the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks during his career. He was a phenom in Seattle and he got even better once he got to Arizona.

Johnson won four consecutive NL Cy Young Awards when he was with the Diamondbacks. This, along with his Cy Young Award from his time in Seattle, gave him five for his career. He led the Arizona Diamondbacks to the first World Series title in their history. Johnson threw one no-hitter and one perfect game during his career.