Saturday, August 13 is International Lefthanders Day. So the Atlantic League decided we should recognize some of our most outstanding lefthanded hitters. 

Josh Pressley spent seven seasons in the Atlantic League, starting with the Somerset Patriots from 2007 through 2011 and then in 2012 and ’13 with the Sugar Land Skeeters. He led Somerset to back-to-back ALPB titles in 2007 and 2008 and was the first baseman on the 2008 ALPB Postseason All-Star team.

Pressley led the ALPB with a .354 batting average in 2008 and also posted league-best marks of 173 hits, 30 home runs, a .605 slugging percentage, a .440 on-base percentage and a 1.05 OPS. In 2009, Pressley topped the ALPB with a.434 on-base percentage. Among the all-time ALPB greats, Pressley ranks fifth with 124 home runs, sixth with 505 RBI and eighth with 289 extra base hits. As a tribute to his feared reputation as a hitter, Pressley received 30 career intentional walks, the third-most ever by an Atlantic League hitter.

Pressley owns ALPB records for lefthanded hitters for the most career home runs (124), most RBI (505), and most extra base hits (289).

Among other notable lefthanded hitters in Atlantic League history, Long Island’s Doug Jennings led the Atlantic League in 2004 with a .359 batting average, the highest average ever posted in a season by a lefthanded hitter. Former Newark Bear and Long Island Duck Jose Herrera is the only lefthanded hitter to post three qualified seasons of .300 or better. In 2021, Caleb Gindl of Lancaster and Josh Sale of Gastonia each hit 34 homers, more than any other lefthanded hitter has in a season. D.J. Boston’s 106 RBI for Nashua in 2000 stands as the league’s top mark for a lefthander and Eric Patterson of York holds the season mark for LH hitters with 67 extra base hits in a year including a remarkable 17 triples to go with 35 doubles and 15 homers.

Lefthanded hitters continue to flourish in the Atlantic League in 2022. Alejandro De Aza of Long Island holds the league lead with a .351 batting average while York’s lefthanded hitting combo of Kelly Dugan and Carlos Franco have combined for 52 round-trippers. Franco’s 94 RBI are also tops in the league among both right and lefthanded hitters.