CLEVELAND -- The Giants arrived at Progressive Field on Tuesday with a new pitcher in tow.
Left-hander Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson joined the Giants in a taxi-squad capacity and is expected to be called up to start against the Guardians in his Major League debut on Wednesday.
“I think it’ll help provide a little bit of help left-handed-wise,” manager Tony Vitello said before the Giants’ 8-1 series-opening loss on Tuesday. “But he’s also an exciting prospect for a lot of reasons -- one being, he’s not scared. He gets a chance to prove that at the ultimate level, or the level that, if you are scared, you’re going to get exposed.”
Wilkinson isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the Giants will have to clear a spot for him before officially selecting his contract. The 6-foot-1, 250-pound hurler would have been eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if he weren’t added to the 40-man roster this offseason, which likely factored into the Giants’ decision to give him a late-season look in the Majors.
Wilkinson, 23, was acquired from the Guardians in exchange for catcher Patrick Bailey in May and will now have a chance to debut against his former organization, creating an interesting subplot for the Interleague clash at Progressive Field.
“That would be awesome,” said Wilkinson, who remains close with former Minor League teammates like Travis Bazzana and Angel Genao. “I can’t think too much about it, but I’ve definitely been around a lot of those guys the past few years in Spring Training and stuff like that. It’s cool to see some familiar faces.”
“It’s always fun when you get to play your former team,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “For him to possibly be making his debut against Cleveland, I’m sure that will be emotional for him, but a lot of fun for him and his family. It’ll start where it started, maybe with a different uniform. That’s always a fun story.”
Wilkinson is known for his “Invisiball” fastball, which averaged just 89.9 mph and topped out at 92.2 mph with Triple-A Sacramento. While Wilkinson doesn’t light up the radar gun, he creates deception with his low release point, allowing him to hold Triple-A hitters to a .172 average with his four-seam fastball this season.
Wilkinson threw his fastball 61.9% of the time with Sacramento, though he also mixed in a slider, changeup and cutter.
“Honestly, I didn’t know it was good until I got to pro ball and got the metrics on it,” Wilkinson said of his heater. “I throw it with confidence. It’s just a low release with some ride. Higher ride than usual with a guy from that angle. It’s just a little different.”
Wilkinson was dubbed "Tugboat" by his dad's best friend, Phil McNeil, when he represented Team Canada in the Little League World Series. Wilkinson's own explanation: "I wasn't moving too fast around the bases growing up."
Subsequently, Wilkinson was a contender in the "Knickname Knockout" competition earlier this season, in which fans voted on which Minor League player had the best nickname. He ultimately finished third; Peyton Williams won for his moniker of "The Iowa Meat Truck."
“I love it,” Wilkinson said of his famous nickname. “It’s been around forever, since the Little League World Series. I’ve embraced it ever since.”
A 10th-round Draft pick of the Guardians in 2023, Wilkinson is 6-6 with a 3.40 ERA and 96 strikeouts over 90 innings across four Minor League levels this year.
Wilkinson was dominant this season at Double-A, going 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA between Akron and Richmond. He’s endured some struggles since his promotion to Triple-A, though, going 3-4 with a 5.15 ERA in 10 starts.
“I’m just here to hopefully help this team win,” Wilkinson said. “Whatever role I’m in, I’m here to take it on and just hopefully give this team a chance to win.”