Carl Hubbell vs Tim Lincecum: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell 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). Carl Hubbell played 1928–1943 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
Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) and Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 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? Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Lincecum, with 1,736 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to Tim Lincecum's 1,682.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Tim Lincecum's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Lincecum's 28,769.
Carl Hubbell
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 | Carl Hubbell | Tim Lincecum |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 110 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 535 | 278 |
| Games Started | Leads: 431 | 270 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 7 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,677 | Leads: 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 669 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 1,506 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 147 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 1,682.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.98 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 9.29 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell outpaces Tim Lincecum 54,753 to 28,769 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,422 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).
Carl Hubbell — 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, Carl Hubbell leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Tim Lincecum owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Hubbell. PIV agrees: Carl Hubbell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carl Hubbell and Tim Lincecum careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Carl Hubbell's ended in 1943, and Tim Lincecum debuted in 2007. The table compares 535 games of Carl Hubbell with 278 of Tim Lincecum across 16 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Tim Lincecum are strikeouts (1,736 to 1,677) and strikeouts per nine (9.29 to 4.20). The per-nine rows read 4.20 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Carl Hubbell, 9.29 and 3.58 for Tim Lincecum. Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games), and Tim Lincecum was mainly a starter (270 starts in 278 games).
Carl Hubbell vs Tim Lincecum: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or Tim Lincecum?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads Tim Lincecum in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tim Lincecum, with 1,736 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.