Tim Lincecum vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison

Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) and Max Scherzer (2008–present) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tim Lincecum compiled 110 wins and 1,736 strikeouts; Max Scherzer put up 221 wins and 3,489 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Tim Lincecum

Pitcher · 2007–2016
Wins
110
Losses
89
Strikeouts
1,736
ERA
3.74
WHIP
1.29
IP
1,682
View Tim Lincecum's full profile →

Max Scherzer

Pitcher · 2008–present
Wins
221
Losses
117
Strikeouts
3,489
ERA
3.22
WHIP
1.08
IP
2,963
View Max Scherzer's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Tim Lincecum Max Scherzer
Wins 110 221
Losses 89 117
Games 278 483
Games Started 270 474
Complete Games 10 12
Shutouts 7 5
Saves 1 0
Strikeouts 1,736 3,489
Walks 669 779
Hits Allowed 1,506 2,433
Home Runs Allowed 147 354
Innings Pitched 1,682 2,963
ERA 3.74 3.22
WHIP 1.29 1.08
K/9 9.29 10.60
BB/9 3.58 2.37

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Tim Lincecum 68,491 to 28,769 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,425 vs 2,877 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Tim Lincecum
28,769
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,877 per season (10 seasons)
Max Scherzer
68,491
Career Pitcher PIV · 3,425 per season (20 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Tim Lincecum — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20092.48 ERA15-7, 261 K in 225 IP
20082.62 ERA18-5, 265 K in 227 IP
20112.74 ERA13-14, 220 K in 217 IP

Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20222.29 ERA11-5, 173 K in 145 IP
20172.51 ERA16-6, 268 K in 200 IP
20182.53 ERA18-7, 300 K in 220 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Max Scherzer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Tim Lincecum owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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