In the game of baseball, the pitcher is very important.
Ask any coach and they will tell you “you can never have enough pitching.” Ask them if they preferred a right handed or left handed pitcher and we believe that the majority would prefer to have the left handed pitcher, but why?
Why Are Left Handed Pitchers Better?
Lack of reputations against left handed pitchers for many batters. Many times batters, both right handed and left handed, do not face as many left handed pitchers throughout their playing career as they do right handed pitches. So naturally, batters see the ball better out of the right handed pitcher and some may struggle against the left handed pitcher.
When you can combine a power arm left handed pitcher with someone that has great off speed and breaking pitchers and you have a pitcher that can be dominant.
Do Left Handed Pitchers Have An Advantage?
Yes, mainly due to the infrequency in which batters get to hit against left handed pitchers. They left handed pitcher has the following advantages:
- Infrequency
- Advantage against left handed hitters
- Different spin
- Holding runners on base
Baseball positions ranked in order of importance!
Advantage #1: Infrequency
We have already touched briefly on this point. Over the course of a players career, from the time they are in Little League, all the way through high school, college, the minor league levels and then on to the majors batters face lefty much more infrequently than right handed hitters.
As a result, the batters do not have the pure number of repetitions that they do against the right handed pitcher. In an average rotation in the major leagues, there might only be 1 to 2 starters that are left handed. This means that on average the starters on a major league time might only face a left handed starting pitcher 20-40% of the time.
These numbers are similar through the lower levels of baseball as the population within the United States is only 10% left handed. So on average, they might only face a left handed pitcher 10% of the time while coming up through Little League Baseball.
Naturally, batters are going to feel more comfortable against a right handed pitcher compared to a left handed pitcher.
What is the easiest position in baseball?
Advantage #2: Advantage against left handed hitters
Throughout the years, the lefty on lefty matchup is very difficult on the hitter, but why? The main reason is the curve ball that the left handed pitcher throws to the left handed batter. It can be a pitch that appears to be headed right at your, but then curves over the plate.
Over the years the right handed hitter eventually adjusts to this pitch against the right handed pitcher, but the lefty might take many years to adjust and some never get comfortable against this pitcher. There have been different left handed power hitters that are benched when there is a left handed pitcher starting the game.
The other major adjustment you see in a major league game is that late in the game the manager will bring in a left handed reliever to match up against the left handed power hitter. This gives the advantage to the pitcher as the left handed hitter often has a much lower batting average compared to the batting average vs a right handed pitcher.
Advantage #3: Different spin
The spin off of a left handed pitcher is different from a right handed pitcher, especially on the breaking ball and off speed pitches. Regardless of the hitter, it takes time to adjust and this advantage is connected to the 1st advantage of infrequency and the lack of overall repetitions that the batter is able to build up over time.
Advantage #4: Holding runners on base
When a runner does reach first base, the left handed pitcher has an advantage with keeping the runner closer to 1st base and limiting the amount of stolen base opportunities.
With the left handed pitcher looking right at the runner vs over his shoulder for the right handed pitcher, there is the greater ability to keep the runner closer to the base. The pick off move of a left handed pitcher is difficult to read and hard to steal 2nd base off of. Overall, this keeps the force play in place and helps the defense.
How To Hit Better Off Left Handed Pitching?
Get plenty of repetitions. Find a teammate, friend or coach who can throw you plenty of batting practice. Make sure you practice frequently and work on hitting the off speed, breaking pitches that are most difficult. Also, there are now pitching machines that use video to see the ball out of a left handed throwing motion. Investing in one of these pitching machines could be key for a team to improve their batting average.
How To Be A Great Left Handed Pitcher?
Watch plenty of YouTube videos on left handed pitchers. If you are power pitcher, watch a left handed power pitcher. If you are more of a finesse pitcher, find the perfect left handed finesse pitcher. Keep an eye on how they attack hitters with different pitchers and how they located every pitch they throw.
Overall, a great deal can be learned from watching the best of the best and taking notes and then practice their approach! The great news for baseball players and coaches in today’s game is the access to the best that have ever played the game and the amount of video on their pitching technique and approach!
