Chronicling lefty stars on Left Handers Day

By Jose de Jesus Ortiz and Efraín Ruiz Pantin

On International Left Handers Days, we at La Vida Baseball celebrate the greatest Latino lefthanded batters and pitchers in major league history. From Ted Williams to Aroldis Chapman, there has been a lot of firepower from the left side among Latino superstars.

Batters

One was the son of a Mexican American mother. The other superstar’s mother was Puerto Rican. Both were so special, you know who they are by their nicknames, the Splendid Splinter and Mr. October.

On International Left Handers Day, we celebrate the greatest Latino ballplayers who hit from the left side of the plate, and we’re starting with the best hitter to ever live, Ted Williams, the war hero and son of a Mexican mother.

Few men could be compared to Williams in terms of being a pure hitter, but Panama native Rod Carew was in that elite class. Reggie Jackson, the son of a Puerto Rican mother, wasn’t a pure hitter, but he was one of the most feared sluggers of his generation.

La Vida Baseball celebrates Williams, Jackson, Carew on our list of the Top 5 Latinos to bat exclusively from the left side.

Ted Williams

Although the San Diego native missed three years for World War II and parts of two seasons for the Korean War, he still finished with 2,654 hits and a staggering 123.1 Wins Above Replacement. He is also the last man to hit .400 in a full season, hitting .406 in 1941. He was a 19-time All-Star, six-time batting champion and two-time Most Valuable Player. He also had a pair of Triple Crowns in his 19-year career.

Rod Carew

The first native of Panama to be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame finished with 3,053 hits over 19 seasons. He was an 18-time All-Star, seven-time batting champion and former Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year.

Reggie Jackson

Mr. October finished his 21-year career with 563 home runs and a five-time World Series champion. The 14-time All-Star won an MVP Award and two Silver Slugger Awards.

David Ortiz

Big Papi rallied in the second half of his career in Boston, becoming a Red Sox icon while becoming one of the best designated hitters of all-time. Although the 10-time All-Star had a modest 55.3 WAR, he finished with 541 home runs over 20 years.

José Cruz

The Astros great is one of the most underappreciated batters of his era. He was a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner while finishing with a 54.4 WAR, which was slightly lower than Ortiz but higher than Tony Oliva.

Honorable Mentions: Tony Oliva, Carlos Delgado, Robinson Canó, Ozzie Guillén

Pitchers

Fernandomania. The only Latino to earn a pitching Triple Crown. And the first Latino to win a Cy Young Award. The pitchers who cracked our Top Five southpaws put together remarkable careers.

For a few glimmering years, Fernando Valenzuela and Johan Santana were arguably the best pitchers in the game. Neither has a plaque in Cooperstown, however. And neither touched 100 on a radar gun as frequently as the flamethrowing closer of the Yankees.

Here are our top five Latino pitchers who dealt from the left side. Who did we miss?

Fernando Valenzuela

If you missed out on Fernandomanía, ask your abuelita. After El Toro won the Rookie of the Year, the Cy Young and the World Series in 1981, baseball was never the same. He also threw a no-hitter in 1990. The Dodgers don’t retire numbers unless the player is enshrined in Cooperstown, but it’s time to rethink that policy.

Johan Santana

His nasty 95-mph heat and changeup combination arguably made him the best pitcher from 2004-08. Over 12 seasons, he won 139 games, two Cy Young Awards, three ERA titles and the pitching Triple Crown. Plus, he authored the only no-no in Mets history. That alone is enough to make any list.

Mike Cuéllar

Skinny and superstitious, he’s the first Latino to win the Cy Young, going 23-11 in 1969. Like Valenzuela, he’s another amazing screwballer — and the winningest Latino lefty, with 185 victories. Cuéllar’s 96 HOF Monitor score is the highest on our list.

John Candelaria

The Nuyorican Candy Man — tall and talented enough to play hoops for Puerto Rico — had immaculate control and a deadly curve. Despite not taking care of himself, he was still the second Latino to pitch a no-no and won 177 games.

Aroldis Chapman

How can we leave out a guy who throws 105 mph and strikes out 41.8 percent of his batters faced? That’s why he’s earning $86 million over five years. If he stays healthy, he might end on top of this list.

Honorable Mention: Teddy Higuera, Juan “Terín” Pizarro, Willie Hernandez

Inset Images: TOPPS