Even though Tim Lincecum is in his early 30s, it already seems like he has been through in entire career of ups and downs. The right-handed pitcher has won a pair of Cy Young Awards and three World Series championships. With that being said, his career has fluctuated quite a bit – to the point where some people have no idea what to expect from him if they put him in their FanDuel fantasy baseball lineup in 2015.
After being drafted in the 1st round out of college in 2006, it took him very little time before being given an opportunity at the MLB level. Even though he is considered to be very short for a right-handed pitcher in the majors, he was known for throwing hard and having outstanding offspeed stuff that could keep hitters off-balance. Decent success as a rookie allowed him to earn a full-time job in 2008. That is when fans really started to get a glimpse of Lincecum in his prime.
As soon as the 2008 season started, people could see that Lincecum was figuring everything out. He was throwing strikes and attacking hitters in a very exciting way. He led the National League in win percentage and strikeouts, hits per nine and home runs per nine. At age 24, he was a National League Cy Young Award winner. He backed that season up with one equally as solid in 2009. All of a sudden, he was being compared to some the all-time greats.
Lincecum’s unconventional windup was something that his father taught him as a youngster. Coaches let him go with minimal adjustments simply because it was working and he was staying healthy. However, the body of the smaller pitcher gradually started to break down. Even if he did not have to miss time early on, people were able to see his fastball velocity decline and his location become spotty.
He does have three World Series championships to his name, but he has seen his contributions dwindle each time. This past World Series, he threw only 1 2/3 innings to help the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals. Statistically, 2014 was the 3rd straight year in which he was mediocre at best on the mound. San Francisco is still committed to him, but no one knows just what he will be asked to do. The career book is not ready to be finished and printed on Tim Lincecum, but he will be looking for a way to get some of his magic back in 2015 spring training
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