Tim Lincecum Wins 2008 NL Cy Young Award

Just announced, Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants won the NL 2008 Cy Young award today. The pitcher went18-5 last season with a 2.62 ERA and let Major League Baseball with 265 strikeouts! Lincecum was ranked second in the National League in wins and Earned Run Average.

The young pitcher (24 years old) received 23 of the first place votes and 137 overall in the voting conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Arizona's Brandon Webb took second with 73 points. The Mets' Johan Santana was third with 55.

Tim Lincecum Versus Past NL Cy Young Winners

Whenever a young pitcher wins the Cy Young, we all think of Doc Gooden. Does he have the stuff to be here 10 years from now, or will he wash out due to the early fame? Below, we take a look at Tim Lincecum versus three past NL Cy Young Award winners.

Roger Clemens, Houston Astros 2004

I know, I know. You're probably asking why I would put the 'Rocket' here. Well, in 2004 when Clemens 'un-retired' for the I lose track how many times and signed with the Astros, MLB baseball fans wondered if the Rocket had anything left. Well, he did, finishing the season with an 18-4 record and won his record seventh Cy Young award. Similar to Clemens, Lincecum has a knack for 'K's and winning early. The main question that begs when comparing the two is if Lincecum's coaches frain from overusing him too early, and if he can adapt to MLB hitters as they learn to deal with his heat!

Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

In 2005, Carpenter had his best season to date in MLB. He had a 21-5 record for the Cardinals, while setting career bests in ERA (2.83), strikeouts (213), innings pitched (241.7), complete games (7) and shutouts (4). He was also selected as a started for the National League in the 2005 All Star Game. In 2006, Carpenter had another good year going 15-8 and finishing third in the NL Cy Young race. Since then, however, he has only pitched in 20 innings due to elbow problems which resulted in his having to get Tommy John Surgery. Giants fans can only hope that Tim Lincecum will not have similar issues since he is referred to as their 'franchise' pitcher!

Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks

Webb won the NL Cy Young pitching for the Diamondbacks in 2006. He started the season 8-0 and was the starting pitcher at the 2006 All-Star game. He struggled in the later half of the season with elbow problems, but went on to finish the season 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA and was tied for the most victories in the National League. His 3.10 ERA was the fourth best in MLB. His win total was the lowest for a starting pitcher ever who has won the Cy Young. Head to Head Lincecum had a much stronger Cy Young award-year than Webb. Webb, however, unlike Chris Carpenter has shown he can stay healthy. The jury is still out on Tim Lincecum, but Giants fans will hope that he shows the longevity that Clemens, and to a lesser extent, Brandon Webb have been able to sustain.