Lefty Grove vs Tim Lincecum: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove 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). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 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? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Tim Lincecum's 1,682.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Tim Lincecum's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Lincecum's 28,769.
Lefty Grove
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 1920s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Tim Lincecum |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 110 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 278 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 270 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 7 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 669 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 1,506 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 147 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 1,682.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.28 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 9.29 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.71 | 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Tim Lincecum 81,321 to 28,769 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 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).
Lefty Grove — 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, Lefty Grove 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 Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and Tim Lincecum careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lefty Grove's ended in 1941, and Tim Lincecum debuted in 2007. Lefty Grove has the far longer record, 616 games against 278 across 17 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Tim Lincecum comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (9.29 to 5.18). By rate, Lefty Grove struck out 5.18 and walked 2.71 per nine innings; Tim Lincecum struck out 9.29 and walked 3.58. Both had the same role: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Tim Lincecum was mainly a starter (270 starts in 278 games). Complete games (298 to 10) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Lefty Grove vs Tim Lincecum: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Tim Lincecum?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Tim Lincecum in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.