Tim Lincecum
Thinking about Tim Lincecum.
Some random thoughts about the Giants fireballer.
Obviously his career is off to a good start: 6-3, 3.88 in 18 starts with a 121/51 K/BB ratio in 111 innings. He's allowed just 86 hits, holding major league hitters to a .214 average. He's been particularly effective since the All-Star Break, with a 2.52 ERA although his walk rate is still rather high. Indeed, too many walks is the only real negative in his profile. He's been a bit vulnerable to the gopher ball with 11 dingers given up, eight of them to left-handed hitters, but I don't think it's going to be a huge problem for him in the long run.
His ERA+ right now is 112, which is good (especially for a rookie) although not Cy Young Caliber. Lincecum is certainly a lot of fun to watch, and if he makes further progress with his command he does have it in him to win Cy Young Awards. But there's no guarantee of that. There are lots of ways this could pan out.
At age 23, Nolan Ryan posted an ERA+ of 117 and posted a 125/97 K/BB in 132 innings for the Mets, so the parallel with Ryan that a lot of people like to put up does make a certain amount of sense. Indeed, Lincecum's command is better than Ryan's was at the same stage. Of course, for every Ryan who put his fireball stuff together and has a brilliant career, there are dozens who are effective for much shorter stretches, or mediocre, who get hurt, or who lose their command and never develop. Lincecum's pre-season PECOTAs include guys like Kerry Wood, Pedro Martinez, Juan Pizarro, Curt Simmons, Dennis Eckersley, Tom Gordon, and Sandy Koufax, but also Ken Brett, Baylor Moore, Jose De Leon and Dave Boswell, guys with great stuff and flashes of success but who never put it together consistently. Any parallel of those outcomes remains entirely possible. Declaring Lincecum as the next Bob Feller based on very good (though not unbeatable) performance in 18 major league starts shows lack of historical perspective.
This may sound like I'm trying to bash Lincecum, but nothing could be further from the truth. He is an extremely impressive young pitcher who could become a superstar, and we should enjoy the ride. He's a great investment, and I suspect that several teams wish they had drafted him. But he is still a 23-year-old pitcher with balky command, and rubber arm or not, he is not Bob Gibson just yet. Let's have some patience and see what happens.
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49 comments
Comments
nicely written john
by realityconquest on Aug 14, 2007 3:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Half
Retract your blasphemy before more innocent Lince-felators loose their lives needlessly!!!
by slurve on Aug 14, 2007 3:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah!!
Sure do love Timmy though and will always get a kick out of how a guy with an awesome talent ended up being an underdog. How ironic :)
by casejud on Aug 14, 2007 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
most hyped/loved prospect in recent memory
by Curtis Pride on Aug 14, 2007 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Consider this...
Second, he's about 5'10" and everybody has been telling him that he can't do this, that, or the other.
Third, because of his unorthodox pitching mechanics, everybody has been telling him that he can't do this, that, or the other.
Lastly, can you name the latest pitching prospect who shut down AAA hitters cold?
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Aug 14, 2007 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cole Hamels
by Tyler on Aug 14, 2007 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe he was
by casejud on Aug 14, 2007 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Slowey
Gallardo
That's just in the past three years.
The fact that he's got horrible control and a tiny frame aren't minor issues. The "underdog" you refer to are because people were being logical about his possibile shortcomings and drawbacks.
It's very rare that someone that tiny with such bad control becomes the superstar that so many on this board are expecting.
So the fact that many are being cautious that for him to fill his billing he needs to be a generational pitcher, makes him an underdog?
by Curtis Pride on Aug 14, 2007 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, it is because
His conrol is not BAD either BTW. Not at all. It is a little bit spotty and inconsistent and is part of what makes him so good. Just wait until he harnessess it.
Isnt there ANYBODY out there who hadnt seen him who when they finally did wondered what the other big league team's problem is? Doesnt his talent just jump right out at you?
by casejud on Aug 15, 2007 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've watched him pitch 3 or 4 times
If you want a once in a generation pitcher look at Pedro, he was striking out over 10 per 9 and walking under 3. That is dominant.
Lincecum is very good, and he should be a multiple all-star and win a Cy Young or two, but this site seems a little too much in love with him. He has pitched 111 innings of 3.8 ERA ball, that is not that amazing. And yes some teams would be helped if they had picked him, but the concerns were real, he has a weird delivery, he is very small...those are legit concerns and concerns that can't be answered in one year. If in 6 years he is still healthy and putting up CY young caliber numbers then we can say unequivocally that the other 9 teams were done but until then I am not willing to go that far
by Kanst42 on Aug 15, 2007 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
this "love" is not blind
Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus chose Lincecum as THE starter he would want to build a team around for the next 10 years. Even more amazing- he made that statement in Sept of 2006, barely after Lincecum made his pro debut in Rookie ball.
I don't think this site is "too much in love with him." A lot of people are expecting big things from this little guy. Sure there are concerns and questions, just like there would be with any young player. I just think he is someone people want to root for, a player they hope does well. And from what we have seen so far, those expectations are not totally unrealistic.
by baseballjunkie on Aug 17, 2007 3:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Response
The teams that passed up Matt Garza a couple of years ago didn't get this sort of treatment, and Garza looks pretty dynamite out there. Joba Chamberlain didn't go until No. 41 this year . . .what does that say about all of the teams that passed him up?
The truth is, when you're dealing with players this talented, you're going to inevitably have a certain degree of uncertainty surrounding their future success relative to each other. So there's no point in obsessing over who the most talented kid happens to be, because you're just not going to know the real answer to that question for a good long while no matter what you're thinking. This is to say nothing for all of the other factors that help to determine future success other than raw talent.
by mrkupe on Aug 14, 2007 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is where i tend to disagree
If Greg Oden went 10th in the draft i the NBA everyone would be saying he got DISSED.
or if Calvin Johnson went 10th thwe same.
The best talent went 10th and the draft isnt as much of a crapshoot as some think or at least it SHOULDNT be. That was Billy Beane's whole point right?
by casejud on Aug 15, 2007 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Andrew Miller
by drwmsu1 on Aug 15, 2007 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is part of WHY
Haven't you heard the saying "Everbody loves an underdog"?
by casejud on Aug 14, 2007 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Question for John or anybody else for that matter
I always thought that the most interesting thing about Tim's drafrting at #10 and his subsequent DIS-evaluation at this site for having only 30+ Pro innings to evaluate despite having 340+ Innings at a HIGHER level (UW) was kind of silly.
Now roughly the SAME thing is going on with David Price. He isn't included on some prospect lists because he doesnt have supposed PRO EXPERIENCE. When will we learn and when is it okay to evaluate somebody? After 50 IP in the Cal League or after 300 in a top NCAA conference?
This is what should have been learned from Tim Lincecum... a pitching talent from what they do in College! Metal bats and older, better hitters tghan the XCal- League. David Price is already an (relatively) old vet. Why wouldn't HE do the same thing next year? What do you think?
by casejud on Aug 14, 2007 3:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Price
by Brickhaus on Aug 14, 2007 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
College Stats
Here are some stat lines from a few guys' last year in college:
Player A: 156.0 IP, 14-2, 2.02 ERA, 109 H, 27 BB, 204 K, 7 CG, 4 SH, 0.87 WHIP, 11.77 K/9
Player B: 125.1 IP, 12-4, 1.94 ERA, 75 H, 63 BB, 199 K, 3 CG, 2 SH, 1.10 WHIP, 14.29 K/9
Player C: 104.0 IP, 11-3, 2.86 ERA, 88 H, 18 BB, 139 K, 3 CG, 0 SH, 1.02 WHIP, 12.03 K/9
Player D: 114.0 IP, 9-5, 1.97 ERA, 87 H, 19 BB, 146 K, 10 CG, 1 SH, 0.93 WHIP, 11.53 K/9
All four players are statistically very similar though their careers in pro ball have not all gone the same.
Player A is Kris Benson, the number one overall pick in 1996. Benson didn't make a terribly quick move through the minors. He pitched two full seasons in the minors before sticking with the Pirates in 1999. His season in AAA was unimpressive with a 5.37 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 7.44 K/9. Injuries have marred his career since 2001 and its hard to say what he would have been like had he stayed healthy, but he never looked consistently dominant in the majors despite eye-popping college stats.
Player B is Lincecum. We all know his story. He does have the highest K/9 of the bunch, but he also has the highest WHIP and highest BB/9 by far.
Player C is Bryan Bullington, another 1/1 pick for the Pirates. Like Benson, Bullington has been injured, but he never had numbers even close to his college stats at any level above A ball. He looks like he might yet be productive.
Player D is Tim Stauffer, 1/4 pick of the Padres in 2003 out of Richmond. Stauffer moved through three levels in 2004 and got a healthy look at the majors in 2005 without much success. He has spent most of the last two years in AAA and hasn't been very impressive. He could still have a productive career, but he seems to have peaked as a AAAA starter.
What does all of this mean? I don't know for sure. Obviously it shows that even great-looking prospects can be sunk by injuries. Lincecum has been injury-free so far, but there are no guarantees. It also tells us that even dominant college stats do not guarantee ML success. Even without significant injury, Tim Stauffer has disappointed. I'm sure there are many more examples of both success and failure.
I think it just reinforces what most of us know. There are no sure things when it comes to baseball prospects.
by knightgalt on Aug 14, 2007 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thats not what I see
I see all 4 as doing as well as their college numbers would suggest Lincecums numbers were the best ...also showing that the walks were the least significant number ther, hits and K's being more important... then Benson, then Stauffer and Bullington.
You just have to know how to INTERPRET the numbers.
now take a look at david price and tell me what you see...
Player E: 133.1IP, 11-1, 2.63 ERA, 95H, 31BB 194K's, 5CG 1SHO, .95 WHIP and 13.10 K/9
The thig to look at is K's to hit ratio. Lincecum was DOMINANT and so is Price, and Benson was also dominant. So dominant was Benson that despite having a lot of arm problems he has fashioned himself a decent big leahue career.
by casejud on Aug 15, 2007 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If college stats are a good tool
144 IP 81 H 213 K 20 BB 3 CG 2 SHO 0.71 WHIP 13.3 K/9
by Kanst42 on Aug 15, 2007 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Weaver is a real good pitcher
by casejud on Aug 15, 2007 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Confrences too
by HectorLuna on Aug 15, 2007 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Appologize for illiteracy...lol
...than the Cal- League...
by casejud on Aug 14, 2007 3:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
timmy
by larryp2sickels on Aug 14, 2007 4:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Remember this...
Oh, and Tom Gordon isn't a very reassuring comp....
by BlueEyesAustin on Aug 14, 2007 5:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well
And no I am not on the Lincecum wagon. At all.
by BlueEyesAustin on Aug 14, 2007 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You dont like the guy??
by casejud on Aug 15, 2007 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Moving forward
What better new face for the organization than a kid who looks like the batboy and exudes the exuberance of a Little Leaguer, yet makes major league sluggers look overmatched.
Lincecum has been proving his detractors wrong his whole career. He's the kind of athlete you just want to root for. Kudos to the Giants for giving him the opportunity when 9 other teams passed on him.
by baseballjunkie on Aug 14, 2007 6:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Timmy L.
by Buddy on Aug 14, 2007 9:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The Talent is There
His upside is immense, but players won't hit .214 against him forever.
He's got to cut down on the walks.
Some pitchers do, and get to that next level.
Others never get over that hurdle.
by sportznut3081 on Aug 14, 2007 10:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lets bet
by casejud on Aug 15, 2007 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just a point of reference.....
Clemens' is .229
RJ's is .218
Claiming Lincecum will be under .230 is some pretty high ground.
I guess we shall see.
I don't doubt the ability, but its far too early to tell.
by sportznut3081 on Aug 15, 2007 2:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Saw Him Pitch
And then he rocks into his delivery, and all you see is body movement. Speaking of that delivery, if pitching mechanics have advanced so much over the years, why do so many guys go down with devastating arm injuries? Hell, if the kid's funky motion works for him, who cares? If it doesn't, at least he can blame it on his dad.
I'm pumped about this kid. So if he has arm trouble, maybe he turns into a guy like Jason Schmidt for a few years. Is that so bad? Let's be realistic; not everybody who lights up the minors is gonna be the next Koufax, Feller or Gooden.
But like Koufax said, "I'd trade my career for his future."
by Azantor on Aug 15, 2007 3:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
History teaches us that
If G-man management continues to allow the Franchise to throw over 100 pitches per outing, or toss over 200 innings/year, history has proven that management isn't just risking their luck. They are trying it.
I believe that it is difficult to compare any young pitcher in the current era to the Gibsons', the Ryans,' or even the Fellers' of the world, because, in an important sense, these men were statistical outliers....Pitchers who dominated over a number of years, despite being overworked.
(As a side note, one of the more fascinating career pitching stats I have ever seen is Gibson's ratio of career wins (251) to career complete games (255).)
TL has sick skills and the mental toughness to be one of the best pitchers in his era, irrespective of his height or size. It is up to G-man management to manage him properly.
by flexballer14 on Aug 15, 2007 7:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lincecum
As far as his control. What I see is a guy who lives off his fastball alot. And he has given up some very long HRs on fastballs. I dont believe he has much control of his wicked curve, or his change. And he throws those and hopes there strikes..lol. Thats the impression I get.
I would like to see him throw more changes to keep hitters off balance.
For his future, I do see him getting his walks under control. And I do think he wins a few Cy Youngs... I will say 3 of them... Every other indication is the kid is going to be special. His home park wont hurt either. If he does control the walks and stays healthy, we could be looking at a very special player. Those are big ifs, but imagine the possibilities...
by Maxima231 on Aug 15, 2007 6:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well of course
Lincecum is definitely NOT a generational talent. Not even close.
by HuskerBob on Aug 16, 2007 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Definitely?
by DrBGiantsfan on Aug 17, 2007 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Husker...
I really just don't see anything not to like at this point and I have watched all his games (even the bad ones). Sure he has control issues but shit... he has been pretty damn effective.
by caintastic on Aug 17, 2007 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why
So you like that he's walking over 4 per 9IP? So you like that his pitch counts are routinely in the 100s? Mahalo
Matt
by WayneCampbell05 on Aug 17, 2007 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Matt...
As far as the Prior thing goes:
Prior
Iowa PCL Age 21: 1-1 3GS 1.65era h/9 7.16 bb/9 4.41 k/9 13.22
Lincecum
Fresno PCL age 23: 4-0 6GS .29era h/9 3.48 bb/9 3.48 k/9 13.35
hmm... seems like Tim gets the edge on that one.
Lets look at 1st year in the league:
Prior
Cubs age 21: 6-6 19GS 3.32era h/9 7.56 bb/9 2.93 k/9 11.34
Lincecum
Giants age 23: 7-3 19GS 3.95era h/9 7.04 bb/9 4.02 k/9 9.67
Edge to Prior but their numbers are not that far from each other's.
In my opinion Prior would have been a once in a generation guy had he not gotten hurt. Lincecum, provided he doesn't get hurt, looks like a once in a generation guy as well.
Salud
Caintastic
by caintastic on Aug 20, 2007 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
nah
Felix, Liriano, Verlander, Cain, Hughes, Hamels, Buchholz, Bedard, Santana, Lackey, Bonderman, Sabathia, Webb, etc. ?
IMO - not a chance.
by pedrophile on Aug 21, 2007 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Every guy you list has had more...
by caintastic on Aug 21, 2007 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Context Kills
Prior pitched in a much worse pitcher's park
Prior's K:BB ratio was significantly better (3.87 vs 2.41) ... that's over 50% better dude
And you think that their number's are not that far off?????
What I find really amazing is that anybody is scrolling this far down still. :) Mahalo
Matt
by WayneCampbell05 on Aug 21, 2007 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Scrolling down
by caintastic on Aug 21, 2007 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
do you prefer Lincecum over
Is he better than all of them and more that I have not listed?
There is only two guys I consider once in a generation right now. Santana and Liriano. Liriano may not fulfill that potential because of injuries.
And there are two other once in a generation pitchers. Clemens and Pedro from the past generation.
by pedrophile on Aug 17, 2007 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs













