I think it's pretty safe to say that Tim Lincecum was the best pitcher in the majors this past season. And considering the most recent award he has claimed, my viewpoint is shared by many.
The Giants' 24-year-old righty was voted by the fans as the 2008 Starter of the Year in MLB.com's annual This Year in Baseball Awards presented by State Farm.
Obviously the 2008 National League Cy Young is the biggest award that Lincecum has taken home this winter, but being recognized by the fans despite playing on a team that hasn't gotten very much national media attention lately is something to be proud of.
Lincecum is already a rock star in San Francisco, but he has quickly become a household name nationally. Maybe it's his 95 MPH fastball or hammer for a curve that helped him strike out a MLB-high 265 batters, or maybe it's the fact that he seems more like a high school point guard instead of a pitcher in the majors.
But whatever it is, people seem to notice it.
He received 24.5 percent of the vote. Mike Mussina of the New York Yankees was second after receiving 16.4 percent. Toronto's Roy Halladay (10.8 percent), Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (10.4), and Cleveland's Cliff Lee (9.9) rounded out the top five.
Lincecum also claimed National League Pitcher of the Year which was voted on by his fellow players for the Players Choice and The Sporting News honors.
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
Giants place three on MiLB's Top 50 Prospects List
The Giants' top three prospects, catcher Buster Posey, pitcher Madison Bumgarner, and first baseman Angel Villalona, have all been named to Minor League Baseball's Top 50 Prospects List.
Bumgarner was the top-ranked Giants prospect has he cracked the top 10 and landed at the No. 6 spot. The 19-year-old lefty has claimed almost as many Minor League awards as Lincecum has in the majors.
We all know his stats by now: 15-3 and the top ERA in all of the minors 1.46 ERA. He also recorded 164 strikeouts in 141.2 innings to claim the South Atlantic League's pitching triple crown.
Posey arrived at No. 19 on the list despite playing only ten games in the minors this past season after being the sixth overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft.
The former Florida State standout and Golden Spikes Award winner will more-than likely be the one who makes the most immediate impact. If his post-draft itinerary is any indication, making stops at three different levels in less-than a month after signing, than 2010 seems like a likely premier for the talented catcher.
Rounding out the threesome is the 18-year-old Villalona, who came in at No. 48 and, along with Bumgarner, led the way as the Augusta GreenJackets claimed the Sally League title.
The burly Dominican did pretty well for himself considering he played most of the season on one of the minors' most talented teams at just the tender age of 17. His numbers won't be your mind, .263 average with 17 HR and 64 RBI in 123, but as he turned 18, he turned it on, hitting .301 with five homers and 20 RBI in the final month of the season.
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