Who hit LHP really well in 2025... or not so much?

Issue #550

Around this time each year I like to remind myself of which hitters hit left-handed pitchers either really well… or really poorly. Because most starting pitchers are right-handed, it is helpful to know who might standout when the more rare southpaws are starting. And it helps explain various bullpen moves during games too. And for those who play fantasy baseball (especially daily fantasy), or who bet on baseball (especially proposition bets, like hitting a HR or getting 2+ hits or 3+ TB or the like), it is critical to know who has the biggest performance splits between RHP and LHP.

So I’ll start with some guys who in 2025 did particularly well against LHP, some of whom are quite well known for hitting LHP better than RHP. Here I’m listing them in order by OPS vs. LHP, then giving each player’s slash line (BA/OBP/SLG), along with the HR and plate appearances so you know the full context of the numbers. (My criteria for this list was guys with a significantly higher OPS against LHP than RHP, a BA over .300 vs. LHP, and at least 80 PA vs. LHP).

STL Iván Herrera

This is a reversal of his splits in 2024, where hit significantly better against RHP than LHP… so we’ll need to watch this in 2026.

MIN Byron Buxton

Buxton has historically hit LHP better than RHP, but not usually to this extent.

ATH Shea Langeliers

This was the first year in Langeliers’ young career where he had such extreme splits and crushed LHP to this degree.

NYY Cody Bellinger

Bellinger is a left-handed batter, and has usually not had such extreme splits, so this bears watching in 2026.

SDP Miguel Andujar (was with ATH and CIN last year)

NYY Paul Goldschmidt

This is why a platoon at 1B with Ben Rice (who doesn’t hit LHP well) is such a good idea for the Yankees.

BOS Romy Gonzalez

MIL Jackson Chourio

DET Dillon Dingler

SEA Rob Refsnyder (was with BOS last year)

As I say often, Refsnyder hits lefties.

CHW Austin Hays (was with CIN last year)

CHC Nico Hoerner

KCR Maikel Garcia

Ernie Clement

PHI Edmundo Sosa

PIT Joey Bart

MIN Ryan Jeffers

MIL Andrew Vaughn

CHW Edgar Quero

What about the opposite, the guys who struggled against lefties in 2025? Often times left-handed batters will not LHP nearly as well, so much so that unless they are an overall superstar they simply do not play against many LHP. Here are some names that jumped out to me in terms of having pretty dramatic splits, with at least 80 PA against LHP in 2025:

PIT Oneil Cruz

Ouch! Loads of talent, but he really needs to hit lefties better!

ATL Mike Yastrzemski (played for SFG and KCR last year)

Could do really well in Atlanta this year if he sits against lefties.

MIA Otto Lopez

PIT Brandon Lowe (played for TBR last year)

The Pirates have high hopes for Lowe in 2026, but probably best to give him some days off against tough LHP.

MIN Josh Bell (played for WSN last year)

Bell is a switch-hitter, but has always hit RHP better than LHP.

LAD Max Muncy

Muncy has always hit RHP better than LHP, but this was more extreme than usual.

CHC Pete Crow-Armstrong

BOS Jarren Duran

BAL Gunnar Henderson

ATH Nick Kurtz

Wow… that is quite a split! He had a great rookie season, but how good could he be if he could hit LHP better?

Did you know? I wrote a 600+ page book with the same title as this newsletter/blog? Now Taking the Field: Baseball’s All-Time Dream Teams for All 30 Franchises was published in early 2019, by ACTA Sports. It is available at Amazon and most other major booksellers.

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