Which side did Babe Ruth bat from?

Babe Ruth batted from the left side. He was a left-handed batter throughout his major-league career, even though he also became a successful left-handed pitcher early in his career.

Batting left helped shape Ruth’s legendary offensive profile. His powerful swing and ability to pull pitches toward right field were especially effective in Yankee Stadium, where the right-field dimensions favored left-handed hitters. Ruth’s home-run power helped transform the sport during baseball’s live-ball era.

Ruth’s handedness is sometimes confused because “left-handed” could describe either batting or throwing. In Ruth’s case, both were left-handed: he threw left-handed as a pitcher and batted left-handed as a hitter. He did not switch-hit or bat right-handed during his MLB career.

The nickname “Babe” and his larger-than-life reputation can also obscure the fact that he began as a pitcher. Before becoming the game’s most famous slugger, Ruth was one of baseball’s standout southpaw pitchers with the Boston Red Sox.