Overview
A left-handed pitcher (southpaw) throws with the left hand. With roughly 10% of the population being left-handed, lefty pitchers are a minority in professional baseball, and their scarcity drives persistent demand. The left-hander's primary weapon is the unique angle against right-handed batters. Pitches from a lefty approach right-handed hitters from behind their back shoulder, making the release point harder to pick up and timing more difficult. Breaking balls that move away from righties - sliders and curveballs - are particularly effective. Against left-handed batters, however, the ball is easier to track, so the lefty-on-lefty matchup does not always favor the pitcher. In NPB history, left-handed aces have always held special status. Masaichi Kaneda achieved his immortal 400-win record as a southpaw, and Yutaka Enatsu dominated as a strikeout king. In recent years, Shota Imanaga and Katsuki Azuma have emerged as ace-caliber lefties. Left-handed pitchers tend to receive premium draft evaluations, and the adage 'always draft one extra lefty' succinctly captures their scarcity value.