WARREN SPAHN AWARD

Major League Baseball's Best Left-Handed Pitcher | Baseball Almanac

The Oklahoma Sports Museum honors the best left-handed pitcher in Major League baseball each year by presenting them with the Warren Spahn Award. "This year we are pleased to remind fans of the legendary accomplishments of Oklahoman Warren Spahn by honoring the most dominant pitcher in baseball," said Richard Hendricks, OSM president. "Spahn pitched some dominant World Series wins against the New York Yankees. (Randy) Johnson pitched a dominant World Series in 2001 and won his first mythical pitching Triple Crown this past year."

Since the award's inception in 1999 to honor the legacy of Oklahoman Warren Spahn, who is the winningest lefty ever, it has been dominated by one particular left-handed "Unit", but in 2003 a new southpaw is king. The recipients of the Warren Spahn Award appear below, in chronological order, as researched by Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Randy Johnson and Warren Spahn are left-handers forever linked by their pitching prowess and epic numbers." - Bloom, Barry. Miami Herald Sportswriter. Meet The Press. 2 January 2003.

Warren Spahn Award

Warren Spahn Award

Warren Spahn Award Photo (Photo Courtesy of Jim Gumm ©)

by The Oklahoma Sports Museum | Warren Spahn History

1999 Randy Johnson (1) Diamondbacks NL 17 Top 25 2.48 Top 25 364 Top 25
2000 Randy Johnson (2) Diamondbacks NL 19 Top 25 2.64 Top 25 347 Top 25
2001 Randy Johnson (3) Diamondbacks NL 21 Top 25 2.49 Top 25 372 Top 25
2002 Randy Johnson (4) Diamondbacks NL 24 Top 25 2.32 Top 25 334 Top 25
2003 Andy Pettitte (1) Yankees AL 21 Top 25 4.02 Top 25 180 Top 25
2004 Johan Santana (1) Twins AL 20 Top 25 2.61 Top 25 265 Top 25
2005 Dontrelle Willis (1) Marlins NL 22 Top 25 2.63 Top 25 180 Top 25
2006 Johan Santana (2) Twins AL 19 Top 25 2.77 Top 25 245 Top 25
2007 CC Sabathia (1) Indians AL 19 Top 25 3.21 Top 25 209 Top 25
2008 CC Sabathia (2) Indians AL 6 Top 25 3.83 Top 25 123 Top 25
2008 Brewers NL 11 Top 25 1.65 Top 25 128 Top 25
2009 CC Sabathia (3) Yankees AL 19 Top 25 3.37 Top 25 197 Top 25
2010 David Price (1) Rays AL 19 Top 25 2.72 Top 25 188 Top 25
2011 Clayton Kershaw (1) Dodgers NL 21 Top 25 2.28 Top 25 248 Top 25
2012 Gio Gonzalez (1) Nationals NL 21 Top 25 2.89 Top 25 207 Top 25
2013 Clayton Kershaw (2) Dodgers NL 16 Top 25 1.83 Top 25 232 Top 25
2014 Clayton Kershaw (3) Dodgers NL 21 Top 25 1.77 Top 25 239 Top 25
2015 Dallas Keuchel (1) Astros AL 20 Top 25 2.48 Top 25 216 Top 25
2016 Jon Lester (1) Cubs NL 19 Top 25 2.44 Top 25 197 Top 25
2017 Clayton Kershaw (4) Dodgers NL 18 Top 25 2.31 Top 25 202 Top 25
2018 Blake Snell (1) Rays AL 21 Top 25 1.89 Top 25 221 Top 25
2019 Patrick Corbin (1) Nationals NL 14 Top 25 3.25 Top 25 238 Top 25
2020 Hyun Jin Ryu (1) Blue Jays AL 5 Top 25 2.69 Top 25 72 Top 25
2021 Julio Urías (1) Dodgers NL 20 Top 25 2.96 Top 25 195 Top 25
2022 Julio Urías (2) Dodgers NL 17 Top 25 2.16 Top 25 166 Top 25
2023 Blake Snell (2) Padres NL 14 Top 25 2.25 Top 25 234 Top 25
2024 Not Yet Awarded (x) -- -- -- Top 25 -- Top 25 -- Top 25
Warren Spahn Award | Research by Baseball Almanac | Baseball Awards
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

The actual award given to the winner is a 2-foot-2 bronze statue of Warren Spahn in his famous high kicking windup that has an estimated value of $10,000. When Randy Johnson won the award in 1999, he mentioned to the media that the photos did not do the beautiful award justice.

Do you agree with the selections — was Blake Snell truly the BEST lefty in 2023? Was The Big Unit the BEST left-handed pitcher in ALL of Major League Baseball from 1999 through 2002? Tell us on our Baseball Almanac Facebook Group, on Baseball Almanac Twitter, via Baseball Almanac Messenger, or our baseball forum — Baseball Fever.

In 2002, Randy Johnson completed the pitcher's Triple Crown (led his league in wins, earned run average, and strikeouts) and became the first National League pitcher to do that since since Dwight Gooden did it in 1985.