Sandy Koufax vs Tim Lincecum: Career Stats Comparison
Sandy Koufax 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). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 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? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Sandy Koufax, with 2,324.1 to Tim Lincecum's 1,682.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Tim Lincecum's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Sandy Koufax, with 63,020 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Lincecum's 28,769.
Sandy Koufax
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 | Sandy Koufax | Tim Lincecum |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 165 | 110 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 397 | 278 |
| Games Started | Leads: 314 | 270 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 137 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 7 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,396 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 669 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 1,506 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 147 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,324.1 | 1,682.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.76 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 9.28 | Leads: 9.29 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.16 | 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sandy Koufax outpaces Tim Lincecum 63,020 to 28,769 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,252 PIV per season to 2,877, across 12 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).
Sandy Koufax — 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, Sandy Koufax 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 Sandy Koufax. PIV agrees: Sandy Koufax grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sandy Koufax and Tim Lincecum careers compare
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) was finished before Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 397 games for Sandy Koufax and 278 for Tim Lincecum across 12 and 10 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Tim Lincecum comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (9.29 to 9.28). The per-nine rows read 9.28 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Sandy Koufax, 9.29 and 3.58 for Tim Lincecum. Both had the same role: Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games); Tim Lincecum was mainly a starter (270 starts in 278 games).
Sandy Koufax vs Tim Lincecum: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sandy Koufax or Tim Lincecum?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sandy Koufax leads Tim Lincecum in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.