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Best left-handed pitchers of all-time: The best lefties in MLB history

By Benjamin Chase

BOSTON, MA - JUNE 8: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the first inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 8, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 8: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the first inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 8, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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(Original Caption) Photo shows Hal Newhouser, Detroit Tigers pitcher, about to throw the baseball. /

17. Hal Newhouser, 207 wins, 130 ERA+, 2,993 innings, 1,796 strikeouts, 63.3 bWAR

Before a certain Dodger southpaw set the world on its edge in the 1960s for a short period of dominance to raise questions about how to weigh elite production over a short time versus consistent great production over many years, Newhouser did the same thing for the Tigers in the 1940s.

Hal Newhouser was a solid pitcher for the Tigers already before his 1944 breakout, making two All-Star games, but he turned it up another notch in 1944, and he stayed at that level for a half-dozen seasons that were one of the most incredible runs in baseball history.

From 1944-1949, Newhouser averaged 23 wins, 295 innings, and 190 strikeouts with a 2.52 ERA. Even more impressive, the beginning of that stretch, 1944-1946, Newhouser averaged 27 wins, 306 innings, 225 strikeouts, and a 1.99 ERA. He was able to lead the Tigers to a World Series win in 1945, making 3 starts along the way.

In his career, Newhouser was elected to 7 All-Star games, winning the pitching triple crown in 1945 along with the 1944 and 1945 MVP awards. The Veteran’s Committee selected Newhouser to the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Next: 16. Aww shucks Andy

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