If there is a pitching prospect who made strides this year in the minor leagues in the Cleveland Guardians organization this year, it’s probably Matt Wilkinson.
The 21-year-old left-hander was a 10th round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Central Arizona College.
He was limited to a single inning of work in the Arizona Complex League last year, but was assigned to Single-A to open the year and was marvelous.
Before going into details about the kind of year he has had, it’s important to point out the fact that he will be taking on a huge postseason challenge for the High-A Lake County Captains.
“The Lake County Captains will turn to 21-year-old LHP prospect Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson to start Game one at Dayton to open their Midwest League three game playoff series on Tuesday. Wilkinson posted a 1.90 ERA with 174 strikeouts over 118.2 innings pitched over 24 starts during the regular season,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
The Lake County Captains will turn to 21-year-old LHP prospect Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson to start Game one at Dayton to open their Midwest League three game playoff series on Tuesday.
Wilkinson posted a 1.90 ERA with 174 strikeouts over 118.2 innings pitched over 24 starts during… pic.twitter.com/mYMQRkPsYQ
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 9, 2024
The man they call ‘Tugboat’ because of his husky frame showed that he has the potential to be a dominant starter if he fully develops.
He was first assigned to Single-A and posted a 1.12 ERA in 40.1 frames, striking out a whopping 71 batters.
Then he was bumped to the Captains and posted a 2.30 ERA in 78.1 frames, punching out 103.
His fastball might not clock in the high-90s, but its elite command, spin rate and deception makes it an elite weapon that he complements with solid secondaries.
He will be in charge of leading Lake County’s playoff rotation.
He might not have the upside of an ace, but Wilkinson remains a name to follow on the Guardians for 2025 or 2026.
NEXT: Guardians Announce Surprising Monday Starter
