Bob Gibson vs Tim Lincecum: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 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
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 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? Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Tim Lincecum's 1,682.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Tim Lincecum's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Lincecum's 28,769.
Bob Gibson
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 1950s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Tim Lincecum |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 110 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 528 | 278 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 270 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 7 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 669 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 1,506 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 147 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 1,682.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 7.22 | Leads: 9.29 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Tim Lincecum 69,720 to 28,769 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,101 PIV per season to 2,877, across 17 seasons to 10. 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).
Bob Gibson — 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, Bob Gibson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Tim Lincecum owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Gibson. PIV agrees: Bob Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Gibson and Tim Lincecum careers compare
No season is shared: Bob Gibson played 1959–1975, Tim Lincecum 2007–2016. The table compares 528 games of Bob Gibson with 278 of Tim Lincecum across 17 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Tim Lincecum are strikeouts per nine (9.29 to 7.22). The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 9.29 and 3.58 for Tim Lincecum. Both had the same role: Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games); Tim Lincecum was mainly a starter (270 starts in 278 games). The complete-game row, 255 against 10, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Bob Gibson vs Tim Lincecum: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Tim Lincecum?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Tim Lincecum in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.