Tim Lincecum vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Wheeler has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tim Lincecum played 2007–2016 as a pitcher; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–present 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
Tim Lincecum (2007–2016) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tim Lincecum finished with 110 wins and 1,736 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Zack Wheeler, with 127 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Wheeler, with 2,013 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Wheeler, with 1,890.1 to Tim Lincecum's 1,682.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Lincecum, with 7 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Wheeler, with 39,270 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Lincecum's 28,769.
Tim Lincecum
Zack Wheeler
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 2000s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Tim Lincecum | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 110 | Leads: 127 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 80 |
| Games | 278 | Leads: 311 |
| Games Started | 270 | Leads: 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 10 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 7 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,736 | Leads: 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 669 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,506 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 147 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,682.0 | Leads: 1,890.1 |
| ERA | 3.74 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.29 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 9.29 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Wheeler outpaces Tim Lincecum 39,270 to 28,769 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,570 PIV per season to 2,877, across 11 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).
Tim Lincecum — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Wheeler 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 Zack Wheeler. PIV agrees: Zack Wheeler grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tim Lincecum and Zack Wheeler careers compare
Tim Lincecum and Zack Wheeler were active at the same time between 2013 and 2016. The two careers are close in length, 278 games for Tim Lincecum and 311 for Zack Wheeler across 10 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Tim Lincecum comes out ahead, it is in complete games (10 to 5), shutouts (7 to 3), and saves (1 to 0). The per-nine rows read 9.29 strikeouts and 3.58 walks for Tim Lincecum, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Both had the same role: Tim Lincecum was mainly a starter (270 starts in 278 games); Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Zack Wheeler's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Tim Lincecum vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tim Lincecum or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Wheeler leads Tim Lincecum in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Tim Lincecum's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Wheeler, with 127 to Tim Lincecum's 110.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Wheeler, with 2,013 to Tim Lincecum's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Tim Lincecum's 1.29.