Matt Wilkinson

Matthew James Wilkinson
(Tugboat)

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 1", Weight 250 lb.
• School Central Arizona College
• High School Foothills Composite High School

• Born December 10, 2002 in Vancouver, BC CAN

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Matt Wilkinson was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the 10th round of the 2023 amateur draft. While he came out of a junior college in Arizona, he was from Canada, having been born in Vancouver, BC and gone to high school in the suburbs of Calgary, AB.

He pitched only one inning for the ACL Guardians in 2023 before playing his first full professional season in 2024. He started that year with the Lynchburg Hillcats of the Carolina League, then moved up to the Lake County Captains of the Midwest League. Between the two stops, he was 8-6, 1.90 in 24 starts, with a whopping 174 strikeouts in 118 2/3 innings, while giving up just 71 hits and 37 walks. He was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month in April, as well as a Midwest League Post-Season All-Star and a High Class-A All-Star. In 2025, he was not so dominant in a full season with Lake County, going 4-9, 4.24 in 24 starts. He still managed to record 117 strikeouts in 104 innings.

He was named to Team Canada's roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic; he was the youngest pitcher on the staff, beating out Micah Ashman by four months. He pitched well in his two appearances out of Canada's bullpen, allowing no runs in 2 2/3 innings while striking out four. He started the 2026 season with the AA Akron Rubber Ducks and was 1-2, 1.59 after six starts when on May 9th, he was included in a big trade as Cleveland traded him an the 29th overall pick of the 2026 amateur draft to the San Francisco Giants in return for C Patrick Bailey.