Who is the greatest lefty of the modern MLB era?
Who do you think of as the greatest lefthanded pitcher of the Major League Baseball Modern Era? If you cannot find your pick among the names on the following table, please let us in on the secret as to whom you believe it might be. Either way, we hope that you will let us know your choice, whether it be by writing a passionate hot stove league case-building narrative for the comment section below – or by the simpler act of writing in the name of your pick in that same space. – We would love to hear from you.
Our Pecan Eagle Suggested List
Of the Greatest Modern Era Lefties
| # | Alphabetical | W | L | PCT | ERA | YEARS | GAMES | K | WHIP |
| 1 | CARLTON, STEVE | 329 | 244 | .574 | 3.22 | 24 | 741 | 4,672 | 1.166 |
| 2 | FORD, WHITEY | 236 | 106 | .690 | 2.75 | 16 | 498 | 1,956 | 1.215 |
| 3 | GLAVINE, TOMMY | 305 | 203 | .600 | 3.54 | 22 | 682 | 2,607 | 1.314 |
| 4 | GROVE, LEFTY | 300 | 141 | .680 | 3.06 | 17 | 616 | 2,266 | 1.278 |
| 5 | HUBBELL, CARL | 253 | 154 | .622 | 2.98 | 16 | 535 | 1,677 | 1.166 |
| 6 | JOHNSON, RANDY | 303 | 166 | .646 | 3.29 | 22 | 618 | 4,875 | 1.171 |
| 7 | KOUFAX, SANDY | 165 | 87 | .655 | 2.76 | 12 | 397 | 2,396 | 1.106 |
| 8 | PLANK, EDDIE | 326 | 194 | .627 | 2.35 | 17 | 623 | 2,246 | 1.119 |
| 9 | SPAHN, WARREN | 363 | 245 | .597 | 3.09 | 21 | 750 | 2,583 | 1,195 |
| 10 | WADDELL, RUBE | 193 | 143 | .574 | 2.16 | 13 | 407 | 2,316 | 1.102 |
| +1 | BABE RUTH * | 94 | 46 | .671 | 2.28 | 10 | 163 | 448 | 1.159 |
- Babe Ruth may not have pitched enough games for consideration here, but the baseball world is loaded with historians who think he could have made the Hall of Fame as all the others on our list did, as one of the greatest lefties of all time. As it worked out, and as most you well know, the Babe used his bat to transform the way the game into the way it is still played today: “Set the table. – Hit it out. – Set the table twice. – Hit it out – et cetera – et cetera – et cetera.”
Did we get that last part right, Earl Weaver?
____________________
Bill McCurdy
Publisher, Editor, Writer
The Pecan Park Eagle
Houston, Texas
The Pecan Park Eagle 
November 10, 2016 at 4:35 pm |
Mine is Sandy Koufax. Saw him throw a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium in LA. Wow. He did not survive long – too many injuries. But what a guy!
November 10, 2016 at 4:42 pm |
Now Bill, what kind of question is that? You know the greatest is Houston’s Dallas Keuchel, don’t you?
November 10, 2016 at 4:55 pm |
Gregory, even I’m not that big of a homer, but I will concede this much: Our Astros’ Dallas Keuchel may be on his way to becoming the greatest fielding pitcher in baseball history! 🙂
November 10, 2016 at 6:35 pm |
Hi Bill.
Sandy Koufax is the greatest pitcher, lefty or righty, I can remember seeing in my lifetime. Seeing what he did against the Yankees in the 1963 World Series was what convinced me.
November 10, 2016 at 7:11 pm |
Here’s another vote for Koufax over Lefty Grove.
November 10, 2016 at 7:30 pm |
If I had to win one game, my pick would be Whitey Ford.
November 10, 2016 at 7:35 pm |
Koufax. He was unhittable. Never saw Lefty Grove so I know nothing about him but his record. other 2 I would pick are Carlton and Randy Johnson
November 10, 2016 at 7:48 pm |
Really tough but for longevity look to Spahn. What a man, could hit, too. Koufax, though great, had too short of a career. The one I’d least like to face is Johnson. Not sure I wouldn’t take him over Ford for that one game. However, he needs more run support than those “Killer Wimps” gave him in Houston’s playoff with SD.
November 10, 2016 at 8:12 pm |
Jim Deshaies
November 10, 2016 at 9:32 pm |
For a game I had to win, Koufax. Spahn probably was the best on the list all time. A guy pitching right now, Clayton Kershaw, deserves to be in the discussion.
November 11, 2016 at 1:34 am |
Since the modern era began in 2000, I’m going with CC Sabathia.
November 11, 2016 at 1:45 am |
Cliff, thanks for bringing the rest of us up to speed on the new modern era. I guess that means that all of those still unresolved issues of 20th century germination are ancient history and that we are home free from big unresolved issues of the previous period. And by the way, why does this new “post-modern era” begin in the last year of the 20th century? Shouldn’t it begin on January 1, 2001?
November 12, 2016 at 2:10 am
It begins in 2000 since that was the first season after the AL and NL were dissolved and their clubs merged into the one big league called MLB.
November 11, 2016 at 6:02 am |
Here’s how they rank in WAR per 162 games, worst to best:
4.2 Tom Glavine
4.4 Whitey Ford
4.5 Steve Carlton
4.9 Warren Spahn
5.0 Babe Ruth
5.2 Carl Hubbell
5.6 Eddie Plank
Sandy Koufax
6.1 Rube Waddell
6.3 Randy Johnson
7.4 Lefty Grove
Nevertheless, for the must-win game 7, the name I write onto my lineup card is Sandy Koufax.
I saw what he did up close and personal, and you don’t forget that kind of stuff. After 1961, hitters seemed never to have a chance
against him.
November 12, 2016 at 3:05 am |
To: Cliff Blau
Re: Your latest response to my last comment ~
My last comment: “Cliff, thanks for bringing the rest of us up to speed on the new modern era. I guess that means that all of those still unresolved issues of 20th century germination are ancient history and that we are home free from big unresolved issues of the previous period. And by the way, why does this new “post-modern era” begin in the last year of the 20th century? Shouldn’t it begin on January 1, 2001?”
Your last response: “It begins in 2000 since that was the first season after the AL and NL were dissolved and their clubs merged into the one big league called MLB.”
C’mon, Cliff, couldn’t you see that I was baiting you a little for once again pulling out your famous “I’d rather be technically right then join in what I know is the spirit of things by seriously responding to a fair question that no else seemed to misunderstand with the help of ten possible answers, a bonus option who became far more famous as the greatest slugger through his time, and, if that wasn’t enough, the right for each respondent as an individual to pick anyone else they might perceive as your perceptual answer to the question,
Please allow me to re-phrase the question in more technically correct manner for your benefit:
The Re=phrased Question: Including all of the left handed pitchers who played most or all of their major league careers in the big leagues from 1901, or 1900, if you prefer, through 2016, which one do you personally favor, if any, as the greatest left handed pitcher of this fairly clear and specific time period?
Man! And please take this tongue-in-cheek comment with a sense of humor 🙂 There is a part of me that perversely admires your dedication to technical exactness over matters of spirit or substance – Am I glad you are not a member of my Home Owners Association’s lawn and garden gestapo!
November 13, 2016 at 1:47 am |
Clearly Lefty Grove was the greatest LHP of all time.
November 15, 2016 at 6:37 am |
It would be interesting to see how Grove would have fared pitching for the Dodgers between 1962 and 1968.
November 19, 2016 at 9:45 pm |
Koufax is the greatest left handed pitcher ever…END OF STORY!