MLB Standings Based on Record Vs. Left-Handed Pitchers
By The Big Lead
Welcome back to another alternative edition of MLB standings. This time around we're going to rank the teams based on their performance against left-handed pitchers. Is it indicative of all that much? No. There are no sweeping conclusions to be made based off these standings. But it is informative to learn which rosters can feast against lefties, especially when the playoffs roll around and matchups against specific arms matter more than ever.
Let's see how the standings would be shaking out as we near the All-Star Break if all that mattered were wins and losses against southpaws. As always, the standings are based off win percentage.
MLB Standings Based on Record vs. Left-Handed Pitchers
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Tampa Bay Rays (12-5)
2. Baltimore Orioles (18-10)
3. Texas Rangers (16-9)
4. Houston Astros (15-9)
5. New York Yankees (9-6)
6. Boston Red Sox (15-10)
7. Seattle Mariners (11-10)
T-8. Toronto Blue Jays (7-7)
T-8. Cleveland Guardians (16-16)
10. Minnesota Twins (9-11)
11. Chicago White Sox (10-14)
12. Detroit Tigers (8-13)
13. Los Angeles Angels (8-16)
14. Oakland Athletics (8-18)
15. Kansas City Royals (7-18)
As is often the case, good teams play well across the board. No surprise that three of the top four spots belong to division leaders. Shoutout the Orioles for dominating in this department. It is interesting that the Angels are having their most successful season in years and yet cannot hit the lefties.
How does the NL look?
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Atlanta Braves (13-5)
2. Cincinnati Reds (18-11)
3. San Francisco Giants (13-9)
4. Chicago Cubs (15-11)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (16-12)
6. Arizona Diamondbacks (15-12)
7. Pittsburgh Pirates (13-12)
8. San Diego Padres (16-15)
9. Miami Marlins (10-10)
T-10. Milwaukee Brewers (13-16)
T-10. Colorado Rockies (13-16)
12. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-14)
13. St. Louis Cardinals (9-14)
14. New York Mets (10-19)
15. Washington Nationals (10-23)
The Nationals earn top prize as the very worst team in the league against southpaws. A whopping 33 contests with a 33 percent winning percentage. Not great. The Reds' dominance against LHPs has gone under the radar a bit but it should serve as further proof that they're for real.
A cool snapshot into a particular performance metric at the halfway point of the season.