A graduate of Liberty Senior High School in Renton, Washington, Lincecum played college baseball at the University of Washington, where he won the 2006 Golden Spikes Award. That year, Lincecum became the first Washington Husky to be selected in the first round of an MLB Draft when the San Francisco Giants selected him tenth overall. Nicknamed "The Freak" for his ability to generate powerful pitches despite his slight physique, the power pitcher led the National League in strikeouts for three consecutive years in a span from to . He also led the league in shutouts in and won the Babe Ruth Award in 2010 as the most valuable player of the MLB postseason. Lincecum won consecutive Cy Young Awards in and , becoming the first MLB pitcher to win the award in his first two full seasons. He also appeared in four consecutive All-Star Games from 2008 through 2011 and pitched no-hitters in 2013 and 2014. Lincecum won World Series rings with the Giants in 2010, 2012, and 2014. After an injury-plagued 2015 season, he made nine starts for the Angels in 2016.