Yu Darvish vs Tim Lincecum: Career Stats Comparison
Yu Darvish has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Yu Darvish played 2012–2025 as a pitcher; Tim Lincecum played 2007–2016 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Yu Darvish (2012–2025) and Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Yu Darvish finished with 115 wins and 2,075 strikeouts; Tim Lincecum finished with 110 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Yu Darvish, with 3.65 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Yu Darvish, with 115 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Yu Darvish, with 1,778.0 to Tim Lincecum's 1,682.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Lincecum, with 7 to Yu Darvish's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tim Lincecum, with 28,769 career Pitcher PIV to Yu Darvish's 25,371.
Yu Darvish
Tim Lincecum
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Yu Darvish | Tim Lincecum |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 115 | 110 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 297 | 278 |
| Games Started | Leads: 297 | 270 |
| Complete Games | 2 | Leads: 10 |
| Shutouts | 1 | Leads: 7 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,075 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 563 | 669 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,460 | 1,506 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 231 | 147 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,778.0 | 1,682.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.65 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.50 | 9.29 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.85 | 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Lincecum leads Yu Darvish 28,769 to 25,371 — driven by per-season impact — 2,877 PIV per season to 1,812 — rather than by longevity, since Tim Lincecum played 10 seasons to Yu Darvish's 14. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Yu Darvish — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tim Lincecum — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Yu Darvish leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Tim Lincecum owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Yu Darvish. Note that PIV actually grades Tim Lincecum ahead, which means Yu Darvish's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Yu Darvish and Tim Lincecum careers compare
From 2012 through 2016, Yu Darvish and Tim Lincecum were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 297 games for Yu Darvish and 278 for Tim Lincecum across 14 and 10 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Tim Lincecum comes out ahead, it is in complete games (10 to 2), shutouts (7 to 1), and saves (1 to 0). By rate, Yu Darvish struck out 10.50 and walked 2.85 per nine innings; Tim Lincecum struck out 9.29 and walked 3.58. Yu Darvish was mainly a starter (297 starts in 297 games), and Tim Lincecum was mainly a starter (270 starts in 278 games).
Yu Darvish vs Tim Lincecum: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yu Darvish or Tim Lincecum?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Yu Darvish leads Tim Lincecum in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Yu Darvish, with 3.65 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Yu Darvish, with 115 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.