This post is exclusively (vs LHP): left handed pitchers.
Click this link to view the data used here. It was derived from Stathead.com ...
Barry Bonds has the highest sOPS+ against both (vs RHP) and (vs LHP) ...
ALL records have OPS >= 1.000...
A table was created that contained a record for each of the 75 MLB seasons 1950-2024. It contains the minimum PA for each season for (vs RHP) and (vs LHP). That number is based on MLB splits each season for the number of outs credited to the pitchers. Using that, 892 records were selected as eligible from the 1102 found in the two queries in stathead.com.
It was based on a total of 500 PA. If the percent of outs credited to LHP was 30%, then the minimum PA (vs LHP) for batters is 150 for that season and 70% (350) for (vs RHP)...
Bonds is also the only batter on both top ten lists...
Only Mantle, Bonds and Judge led (OPS) in both (vs RHP) and (vs LHP) in the same year.
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Those same three (Bonds twice) are also the only ones to also lead MLB in both (vs RHP) and (vs LHP) in sOPS+ in the same year. ...
Remember, Mantle switch hit, Bonds batted lefty and Judge bats righty.
Against lefty pitching (vs LHP) in 2002, Bonds had an astonishing sOPS+ 308. Bonds was more than three times better than the average MLB batter in that split...
Top 25 sOPS+ (vs LHP) out of 547 records in this study:
155 out of 547 records had sOPS+ >= 200...
Bonds is the only lefty batter.
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vs LHP, sOPS+ >= 200: 155 records:
Rank is among the 547 records in vs LHP.
6 by Lefty batters:
| Player | sOPS+ | Split | Year | OPS | PA | bats | throws | birthYear | Rank |
| Barry Bonds | 308 | vs LHP | 2002 | 1.532 | 178 | L | L | 1964 | 1 |
| Barry Bonds | 237 | vs LHP | 2003 | 1.300 | 161 | L | L | 1964 | 21 |
| Barry Bonds | 220 | vs LHP | 2001 | 1.239 | 189 | L | L | 1964 | 42 |
| Stan Musial | 210 | vs LHP | 1954 | 1.127 | 259 | L | L | 1920 | 88 |
| Larry Walker | 207 | vs LHP | 2001 | 1.193 | 174 | L | R | 1966 | 98 |
| Ted Williams | 206 | vs LHP | 1956 | 1.116 | 152 | L | R | 1918 | 108 |
13 by switch hitters, of course, batting righty (7 by Mantle):
| Player | sOPS+ | Split | Year | OPS | PA | bats | throws | birthYear | Rank |
| Mickey Mantle | 275 | vs LHP | 1964 | 1.302 | 186 | B | R | 1931 | 4 |
| Mickey Mantle | 236 | vs LHP | 1957 | 1.214 | 175 | B | R | 1931 | 23 |
| Mickey Mantle | 219 | vs LHP | 1960 | 1.146 | 187 | B | R | 1931 | 45 |
| Chipper Jones | 217 | vs LHP | 2000 | 1.257 | 152 | B | R | 1972 | 47 |
| Victor Martinez | 217 | vs LHP | 2010 | 1.173 | 167 | B | R | 1978 | 48 |
| Mickey Mantle | 215 | vs LHP | 1961 | 1.145 | 203 | B | R | 1931 | 57 |
| Victor Martinez | 214 | vs LHP | 2014 | 1.123 | 158 | B | R | 1978 | 66 |
| Mickey Mantle | 212 | vs LHP | 1958 | 1.120 | 153 | B | R | 1931 | 75 |
| Mickey Mantle | 210 | vs LHP | 1955 | 1.130 | 186 | B | R | 1931 | 87 |
| Matt Wieters | 206 | vs LHP | 2011 | 1.124 | 142 | B | R | 1986 | 107 |
| Mickey Mantle | 204 | vs LHP | 1956 | 1.116 | 209 | B | R | 1931 | 120 |
| Chipper Jones | 201 | vs LHP | 1999 | 1.190 | 171 | B | R | 1972 | 138 |
| Tony Phillips | 201 | vs LHP | 1991 | 1.083 | 192 | B | R | 1959 | 143 |
The remaining 136 times by righty batters. Top 14:
| Player | sOPS+ | Split | Year | OPS | PA | bats | throws | birthYear | Rank |
| Dick Allen | 293 | vs LHP | 1966 | 1.369 | 231 | R | R | 1942 | 2 |
| Sammy Sosa | 275 | vs LHP | 2001 | 1.451 | 137 | R | R | 1968 | 3 |
| Willie Mays | 269 | vs LHP | 1964 | 1.286 | 183 | R | R | 1931 | 5 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 267 | vs LHP | 2022 | 1.327 | 137 | R | R | 1987 | 6 |
| Frank Howard | 265 | vs LHP | 1968 | 1.196 | 200 | R | R | 1936 | 7 |
| Cecil Fielder | 263 | vs LHP | 1990 | 1.333 | 215 | R | R | 1963 | 8 |
| Frank Thomas | 258 | vs LHP | 1995 | 1.373 | 168 | R | R | 1968 | 9 |
| J. D. Martinez | 252 | vs LHP | 2019 | 1.381 | 170 | R | R | 1987 | 10 |
| Frank Thomas | 248 | vs LHP | 2000 | 1.373 | 122 | R | R | 1968 | 11 |
| Frank Thomas | 246 | vs LHP | 1996 | 1.343 | 158 | R | R | 1968 | 12 |
| Nolan Arenado | 246 | vs LHP | 2017 | 1.313 | 165 | R | R | 1991 | 13 |
| Aaron Judge | 246 | vs LHP | 2024 | 1.240 | 184 | R | R | 1992 | 14 |
| Buster Posey | 245 | vs LHP | 2012 | 1.262 | 181 | R | R | 1987 | 15 |
| Hank Aaron | 244 | vs LHP | 1962 | 1.240 | 182 | R | R | 1934 | 16 |
Since about 70% of pitches are thrown by right-handers, batters must be able to hit them. Righty batters must be able to hit righty pitchers, not just lefties. Conversely, lefty batters can get by if they cannot hit lefty pitchers, as long as they hit the majority righties.
Best OPS season splits: 1950-1974, 1975-1999, 2000-2024. Friday, April 11, 2025
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Bats/Throws: Executive Summary Friday, March 1, 2013
Bats/Throws: summary Thursday, February 28, 2013
Mickey Mantle RightyLefty Home/Road. Monday, March 31, 2025
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