In sports betting we are always looking for an angle, something that can give us the edge and be able to capitalize on the advantage. Sometimes that means we are betting on a wind game in football, or a long road trip, or maybe a key injury or coaching change. In major league baseball, however, those advantages are harder to spot. But, one of the simplest advantages that stares bettors in the face every year, yet is rarely capitalized on is the struggles of offenses against left handed pitching.
In the new world of MLB, we have so much bullpen usage that betting on, or against, a starter is even more difficult, but those crafty lefties still hold value. What is the real value though are fading teams who struggle against the southpaws. In 2024, we have a number of teams who have really begun the year with the inability to hit lefties and it has cashed numerous tickets so far.
The Seattle Mariners have been absolutely terrible against lefties this season batting just .213. This makes them a great team to fade because they are a first place team, which means when they take on a lefty, they likely will be favorites and have been in many spots this year. The Cardinals are in a similar spot batting just .218 against lefties, yet are in the hunt for a playoff berth. Then we get into some of the no-brainer teams like Oakland, Miami and the White Sox. They are harder to fade because they will be underdogs in most games and likely large underdogs, but against lefties it has been worthwhile laying the juice.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have the best teams against lefties. The Arizona Diamondbacks are batting a ridiculous .281 against southpaws and that is a distinct advantage. They also have 111 RBI against lefties, which leads baseball, so anytime the Snakes face a lefty, it's time to trust their bats. The Dodgers, Royals and Twins all come in next and while you might not want to pay big juice to bet on them, you can always consider prop plays or team totals to take advantage of the lefty matchups.
As the summer rolls on, every edge will be needed to navigate the baseball schedule and make some money, betting on or against lefties is absolutely a way to put the odds in your favor.