Competitiveness Helps Guardians’ Matt Wilkinson Stand Out
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It was hard to say which caused the biggest stir in late April:
That lefthander Matt Wilkinson struck out 15 in six hitless innings for Low-A Lynchburg against Myrtle Beach. Or that the 6-foot-1, 285-pound Wilkinson’s nickname is “Tugboat”.
The Guardians drafted Wilkinson in the 10th round in 2023 out of Central Arizona JC. In his first four starts for Lynchburg this year, he allowed one run in 20.2 innings. He paired a 0.44 ERA with 41 strikeouts and six walks, while holding opponents to an .091 average.
Wilkinson has a history of standing out. In 2015, he struck out 16 batters in a Little League World Series start for his Canadian team. Last year, he was named junior college pitcher of the year.
“He’s competitive, not afraid of the bat or attacking hitters, is able to work the ball to his targets and cares about being a complete pitcher,” Guardians director of pitching development Stephen Osterer said.
“Those are pretty good ingredients for success.”
The 21-year-old Wilkinson doesn’t have a show-stopping repertoire, but “he has some very unique release traits and deceptive qualities that play it up,” Osterer said.
He executes a low-90s four-seam fastball to create elite levels of in-zone whiff, according to Osterer.
Working with Cleveland’s pitching factory should only hasten and improve Wilkinson’s development.
“Matt has a long way to go, but there’s a lot to like moving forward,” Osterer said. “Tons of credit to Matt for coming into professional baseball and owning his development, crafting routines to support his growth and being disciplined in executing that daily.”
Wilkinson’s development is well underway. His fastball velocity is beginning to tick up, the shape of his slider has improved, and he continues to mature as a pitcher.
“It’s been fun watching him perform in the early stages and showcase a lot of that competitive mindset that we loved in the draft,” Osterer said.
