Roy Oswalt and Tim Lincecum: 2 Pitchers with a Similar History Face off

Philadelphia Phillies fans will be hoping for a double-digit winning streak at the end of today, as Roy Oswalt returns from injury to face the at times dazzling Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants.

Beyond the similarity of both having a slightly shorter stature, each of these two men was brought into great professional success very early, and it has continued to follow them ever since.

As a 23-year-old in 2001, Oswalt burst onto the baseball radar in Houston, in the midst of a 14-3 campaign with a 2.73 ERA and a second-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting.

The year after, he only got stronger as he went 19-9 and a 3.01 ERA.

From there, he has a career .634 winning percentage and 154 total wins.

Lincecum struggled slightly as a 23-year-old rookie by the Bay, as he posted a 7-5 record with an even 4.00 ERA.

That was when "The Freak" began his dominance. As a 24-year-old, he won the first of two consecutive Cy Young awards by going 18-5 with a sparkling 2.62 ERA.

He has led the league in strikeouts for the past three years and has averaged over a strikeout per inning his entire career.

The two former phenoms will now be clashing as household Major League names.

In his 11th season, the 33-year-old Oswalt is obviously no longer a prospect and has become slightly injury prone, but Lincecum is still only 27.

He is about to enter his prime, and Major League Baseball will be looking at his fastball for years to come.

Two men with a similar history, a different future and an identical assignment will face off today. Only time will tell who will come out on top.