RHP Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Background: The Rockies scouted the right-hander heavily before the 2006 draft. General manager Dan O’Dowd traveled to Seattle to watch him pitch for the University of Washington, but left more impressed with Greg Reynolds, who fits the baseball blueprint better at 6-feet-7, 225 pounds. The Giants snagged Lincecum with the 10th pick overall and he’s 15-6 with a 3.33 ERA after besting the Nationals 10-1 on Friday.
What’s up: Lincecum is unique in performance and physique. At 5-11, he ranks among baseball’s smallest starting pitchers. Even more impressive, he throws fuzz, reaching 97 mph on his fastball. He complements it with a breaking ball he bends better than Beckham. Crunch his stats and it’s obvious why he’s a competing with Cincinnati’s Edinson Volquez to start for manager Clint Hurdle’s NL all-star team. “When you get taken high in the draft, you are supposed to get to the big leagues quickly and perform well,” Lincecum said matter-of-factly.
What’s next: Lincecum is starting to draw comparisons to Pedro Martinez, who at a similar age brought the heat along with a terrific changeup. Lincecum is scheduled to face the Rockies on Tuesday at Coors Field. He beat them on their last homestand, grinding through six innings after throwing 60 pitches to record the first nine outs.
Renck’s take: Funniest, if not the most accurate line I’ve read about Lince-cum: He’s going to be something once he reaches puberty. Lincecum has a boy’s body and a man’s arm. It’s striking when you see Lincecum. His right arm looks like it was transplanted from Josh Beckett, muscular and defined. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it’s bionic.
