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Even though left-handers make up just 10% of the population, many of the world’s most celebrated stars belong to this minority. Many opponents are less accustomed to facing left-handed competitors, making them more challenging to play against in sports like baseball, tennis, and boxing, where precision and strategy are key. In this list, we pay homage to these great stars as we rank the top 25 left-handed athletes ever.
25. James Harden
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“The Beard” is one of the most elite shooting guards in basketball. He holds the record for having scored the most points (25,000+) as a lefty, and is a three-time scoring champion. This makes him not only one of the greatest left-handed players to play the game but one of the all-time NBA players.
24. Monica Seles
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When Seles won the French Open in 1990, she was just 16 years old. However, she packed a mighty powerful left-handed serve. Not to mention her two-handed backhand, complete with her traditional grunt. Seles won eight more Grand Slam titles — eight total while she was still a teenager. Seles, who won nearly $15 million in her career, even managed to win her fourth Australian Open three years after her infamous 1993 on-court stabbing incident.
23. Oscar De La Hoya
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De La Hoya was so talented in the boxing ring that he could turn a left-handed jab into a devastating hook within the blink of an eye. The Hall of Famer, known as “The Golden Boy,” won gold at the 1992 Olympics. From there, his mighty left hand, out of an orthodox stance, led to 11 world titles spanning six different weight classes during a stellar professional boxing career that lasted more than 15 years. Of De La Hoya’s 39 pro wins, 30 came via knockout.
22. Ken Griffey Jr.
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One of the great left-handed power hitters of all time. Junior ranks sixth on Major League Baseball’s all-time home run list with 630. He’s one of four left-handed hitters to rank within the top 10 in that department. During his 22 seasons, Griffey Jr. also batted .291 with 2,781 hits, 524 doubles, and 1,836 RBIs. He also recorded 154 career outfield assists. The 13-time All-Star won the American League MVP award in 1997.
21. David Robinson
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“The Admiral” was an inside force at 7-foot-1. However, he also had a smooth left-handed jumper and jump-hook that was nearly unstoppable during his 14-year, Hall-of-Fame NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. Robinson averaged 21.1 points and 10.6 rebounds during a pro career that featured 10 All-Star nods and two NBA championships. Robinson was also named league MVP in 1995 and Defensive Player of The Year in 1992.
20. Brian Lara
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The average sports fan probably has no idea who Lara is. Followers of cricket, however, probably consider Lara the greatest of all time. The former Trinidadian international star bowled with his right hand but was a feared left-handed batter. “The Prince” set multiple records during his playing days from 1990-2007. Those marks include the highest individual score in a Test innings with 400 not out.
19. Tony Gwynn
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Gwynn was a special left-handed hitter during his 20-year career – all with the San Diego Padres. Mostly because he made hitting look so effortless from the left side of the plate. Gwynn was a career .388 hitter and never batted worse than .309 for a season in which he appeared in 100 or more games. The late eight-time batting champ was also a 15-time All-Star and won seven Silver Slugger Awards. Gwynn remains one of the most beloved players in MLB history.
18. Stan Musial
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Like Tony Gwynn, Musial played all 22 MLB seasons with the same club – the St. Louis Cardinals. There aren’t many more consistent hitters than the left-handed Musial. He was a career .331 batter, recording 3,630 hits (fourth all-time), including 725 doubles. A three-time World Series champion and National League MVP, the Hall-of-Famer Musial nearly won the batting triple crown in 1948.
17. Bobby Orr
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The birth of the offensive defenseman can be traced to Orr. He played 12 NHL seasons, 10 with the Boston Bruins, with whom he earned legendary status. An eight-time Norris trophy winner, three-time owner of the Hart Trophy, and two-time recipient of the Art Ross Trophy. Orr was a scoring wiz either through his left-handed slap shot or lefty wrister that’s responsible for recording an NHL single-season record for a defenseman with 139 points in 1970-71. His 915 points for a defenseman rank 11th all-time.
16. Sandy Koufax
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When we talk about left-handed pitchers, the conversation usually finds its way to Koufax. In 12 seasons, the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers legendary southpaw went 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA. Koufax was the first pitcher to toss four no-hitters and also has a perfect game to his credit. When Koufax’s career ended following the 1966 season, his 2,396 strikeouts ranked seventh in major league history at the time.
15. Ty Cobb
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Now, legend has it that many major leaguers back in the day disliked Cobb. Still, he’s one of the greats. Especially when it came to hitting a baseball from the left side of the plate. A .367 career hitter, Cobb is second all-time in baseball history with his 4,189 hits. There might not be a better pure hitter than Cobb. Though, it would be interesting to see how he would fare in today’s modern game against some serious filthy arms.
14. Rafael Nadal
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On five occasions, Nadal finished the year as tennis’ No. 1 ranked men’s player. Paced by his power-packed, left-handed serve, Nadal has won more than 85 career tournaments. Of those triumphs, 22 have come in Grand Slam events – two more than Roger Federer’s 20 titles. Nadal’s 14 French Open titles remain a record for any tournament. He’s also won the U.S. Open an impressive four times.
13. Steve Young
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Nothing against Kenny Stabler, but Young is the best left-handed quarterback in NFL history. Sure, it took some time for Young to ignite his NFL career, but once he burst out of Joe Montana’s shadow in San Francisco, Young was among the best in the business. When his career ended, Young passed for 33,124 yards with 232 touchdowns and 4,239 rushing yards with another 43 scores. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and, most importantly, won three Super Bowls, and was a two-time NFL MVP (1992, 1994).
12. Lou Gehrig
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During his 17-year career with the New York Yankees, “The Iron Horse” proved to be one of the most beloved figures in the history of the storied organization. The left-hander recorded more than 2,700 hits and batted .340 for his career. Gehrig also belted 493 home runs, including five seasons of 41 or more. Baseball fans know that Gehrig could be counted on to play every day, which makes his offensive consistency – at a remarkably high level – the more special.
11. Diego Maradona
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Diego Maradona was one of the world’s greatest players and led Argentina to a 1986 World Cup victory — which came at the expense of England by an illegal goal scored with a hand. Dubbed ‘The Hand of God’, it was a handball disguised as a header that helped Argentina advance into the World Cup semifinals. Forever adored by Argentines and the football world, and an astounding 312 goals in his club career, Maradona’s left foot was a force of nature that earned him a spot in the all-time greats.
10. Manny Pacquiao
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Fighting out of that classic southpaw stance, Pacquiao is one of boxing’s all-time greats. He’s the only boxer to win world titles in eight different weight classes. He’s also the lone fighter to hold titles in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s). Pacquiao’s won 62 of his 71 fights to date, with 39 of those decisions coming via knockout. Oh yeah, he also found time to serve in the Philippine House of Representatives.
9. Martina Navratilova
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The great left-hander, Martina Navratilova spent 332 weeks as the No. 1-ranked singles player in the world. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, half of which came at Wimbledon. When throwing in doubles and mixed doubles, Martina’s total Grand Slam titles add up to 59 – the most in the Open Era by a man or woman. Not to mention, Navratilova also happens to be one of the great follows on Twitter – whether tweeting about sports, politics or pop culture.
8. Ted Williams
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Ahh, yes, the “Splendid Splinter.” Williams spent his entire 19 major-league seasons with the Boston Red Sox, knocking the baseball all over Fenway Park. A six-time AL batting champion, the sweet-swinging, left-handed-hitting Williams was a lifetime .344 hitter who also clubbed 521 home runs. Williams is probably best known for being the last Major Leaguer to hit better than .400 for a season. That came in 1941 when he batted .406. The next season, Williams won his first of two Triple Crowns.
7. Randy Johnson
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There’s been a strong case for labeling Johnson as the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball history. “The Big Unit” pitched for seven teams over a 22-season career. Johnson went 303-166 with a 3.29 ERA, and his 4,875 career strikeouts are second in major-league history — and the most by a southpaw. A 10-time All-Star, the intimating, 6-foot-10 Johnson also won five Cy Young Awards (second in baseball history) and is one of five pitchers to throw a no-hitter in both the AL and NL.
6. Barry Bonds
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Say what one will about Bonds, and his Hall of Fame status, he was a great baseball player. More specifically, a great hitter from the left side of the plate. Sure, he enhanced himself to become a dominant left-handed power hitter. His 762 home runs are the most in baseball history, as are his 73 for a single season set in 2001. It’s also worth noting that Bonds recorded 173 outfield assists and won eight Gold Glove Awards, thanks in part to his strong left-handed arm.
5. Phil Mickelson
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Come on, anybody with the nickname “Lefty” must be on this list. It’s a good thing Mickelson backed it up with some stellar play over the years. Already a Hall of Famer, Mickelson was a star even before he turned pro, winning both an individual NCAA national championship and the U.S. Amateur. During his run as a professional, Mickelson has won 44 PGA Tour events (ninth all-time). Five of those victories are of the major variety, including the Masters three times. The U.S. Open is still the only major Phil has failed to win, though he tied for or finished second outright on six occasions.
4. Lionel Messi
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Back in May 2020, the United States edition of The Sun reported that 83 percent of Messi’s 697 goals at the time came via his left foot. There is not a more potent left-footed shot from the penalty spot than that of the great Messi. Between his storied club career with Barcelona and his contributions to the Argentinian national team, Messi has recorded more than 750 goals. The winner of six Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Shoes, Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s greatest active footballer.
3. Bill Russell
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From his smooth left-handed hook shot to his sweet lefty jumper, Russell just made it look easy on the basketball court for the mighty Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-10 legend averaged 15.1 points and shot 44 percent during his 13-year career in the NBA. An 11-time NBA champion with Boston, Russell won five league MVPs and was a 12-time All-Star. For good measure, Russell also averaged an amazing 22.5 rebounds during his Hall of Fame career.
2. Babe Ruth
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Perhaps the most recognizable sports figure of all time. Ruth became a legend for the way he swung the bat. We know about the left-handed slugger’s 714 career home runs. There were also those 2,873 hits, including 506 doubles, and 2,218 RBIs that spanned his 22 big-league seasons – most notably with the New York Yankees. What the casual baseball fan might not remember is that the Babe went 94-46 with an impressive 2.28 ERA with his left arm, mostly with the Boston Red Sox from 1915-’19. He also recorded 488 strikeouts from the mound.
1. Wayne Gretzky
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With all due respect to the Babe, there has been no athlete more dominant in his or her sport than Gretzky. “The Great One” not only had a legendary left-handed shot but there likely won’t be a better passer ever to play the game of hockey. Among the numerous NHL records that Gretzky still holds include most career points (2,857), goals (894), and assists (1,963). Not to mention, he won the Art Ross Trophy 10 times and the Hart Trophy another nine. Gretzky was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Edmonton Oilers and was named All-Star Game MVP on three occasions.
