Sometimes it’s hard for pitchers to renew themselves when they’ve been successful for so long and suddenly find themselves in trouble. Tim Lincecum might be the best example of that idea.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner, three-time World Series champion and four-time All-Star, Lincecum was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball only a few years ago but his numbers had steadily decline over recent years. His strikeout rate and fastball velocity weren’t the same from a few years ago, and it was obvious he wasn’t going to last much longer in the big leagues unless he decided to do something.
What did he do, then? Lincecum went through several surgeries to repair a hip problem, and when he proved he was healthy enough to sign a one-year, incentive-laden $2.5M deal with Los Angeles Angels earlier this year, his comeback was only starting. The idea was to have Lincecum rehabbing in the minors and later evaluate if he would be suitable for a rotation spot, but the former San Francisco Giants ace proved his worth in the minors so he’s set to make his season debut against the Oakland Athletics this Saturday.
Lincecum was particularly dominant in his last start wth Triple-A Salt Lake on June 12th, in which he went seven innings of one-hit ball striking out eight and walking one. Lincecum is certainly ready to take the mound for the Angels at the big league level, but no one can expect an immediate return to his pre-2011 form. To make a comparison, Lincecum’s ERA raised from 2.81 in 2008-11 to 4.68 from 2012-15.
The Angels, however, are desperate for rotation help. They need as many arms as they can get, and having one with as many accolades as Lincecum’s, it can only mean nice things for Los Angeles. It might not be enough to make the playoffs or turn their season around, but having Lincecum on the mound is a very good thing considering how his career was just one year ago.
Having him back at the MLB level is everything a baseball fan can ask for. The better he performs, the more pleased fans will be. After all, we’re talking about one of the best pitchers in the NL over the last 10 years.