Roy Halladay vs Tim Lincecum: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Halladay has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 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
Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 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? Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Roy Halladay, with 203 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Roy Halladay, with 2,749.1 to Tim Lincecum's 1,682.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Halladay, with 20 to Tim Lincecum's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Halladay, with 66,478 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Lincecum's 28,769.
Roy Halladay
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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Halladay | Tim Lincecum |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 203 | 110 |
| Losses not scored | 105 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 416 | 278 |
| Games Started | Leads: 390 | 270 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 67 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 7 |
| Saves | 1 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,117 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 592 | 669 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,646 | 1,506 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 236 | 147 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,749.1 | 1,682.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.38 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 6.93 | Leads: 9.29 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Halladay outpaces Tim Lincecum 66,478 to 28,769 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,155 PIV per season to 2,877, across 16 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).
Roy Halladay — 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, Roy Halladay 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 Roy Halladay. PIV agrees: Roy Halladay grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum careers compare
The careers of Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) overlapped from 2007 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 416 games against 278 across 16 and 10 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Tim Lincecum's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (9.29 to 6.93). The per-nine rows read 6.93 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Roy Halladay, 9.29 and 3.58 for Tim Lincecum. Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games), and Tim Lincecum was mainly a starter (270 starts in 278 games). The complete-game row, 67 against 10, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Roy Halladay vs Tim Lincecum: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Halladay or Tim Lincecum?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Halladay leads Tim Lincecum in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Halladay, with 203 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.