It’s not very often kids from the Lower Mainland have a chance to make it to the big leagues, and it’s even less often for them to be drafted by an MLB team.
Enter Matt “TugBoat” Wilkinson. This kid is a beast. It’s no wonder why the Cleveland Guardians drafted him back in July, 2022. But, just like most other young draftees, he has to make his way through the minors and make a name for himself to get to the big leagues. Matt grew up playing baseball in Ladner, BC, and everyone knew since the day he started playing baseball that he was a special player. His size and strength helped him dominate against kids his age, allowing him to play up with kids who were two to three years older than him.
Wilkinson entered history books last night with his unreal performance for the Lynchburg Hillcats. He started the game off hot, striking out the first seven batters he faced, giving his defence the afternoon off. It just got better and better for Tugboat and the Hillcats yesterday. He managed six scoreless innings from the mound, and didn’t allow a single hit. In total, he struck out fifteen, yes FIFTEEN, out of the eighteen batters he faced last night. If you don’t know a lot about baseball, just know that is insane.
Put the world on notice, Tugboat is here to save the day 🚢 🚨
Matt Wilkinson’s final line 6 IP, NO HITS, 15 Strikeouts 💪💪💪@CleGuardPro #minorleague #milb #minorleaguebaseball #lynchburghillcats #pitching #prospects #shove #heat pic.twitter.com/4EHTe5sXth
— Lynchburg Hillcats (@LynHillcats) April 26, 2024
He ended his night in the top of the sixth inning by striking out all three hitters, only walking one batter in the fourth inning. Matt said post game that he tries to do this every game, and tries his best to help the team when he can.
“It’s what I try to do every time… You just have to try not to make that moment too big for yourself and just do whatever you can to help the team win. That’s what I did tonight.” Matt Wilkinson, Starting LPH, Lynchburg Hillcats.
This performance puts Tugboat in the history books, yes the 21-year old is already in the same books as some of the MLBs best pitchers. Since 2005 in the MiLB and the MLB, there have only been eleven other pitchers to strike out fifteen hitters without allowing a hit. Some of those MLB names include Clayton Kershaw, and Max Scherzer… both pitches ultimately bound for the MLB Hall of Fame. It’s crazy to think that a kid from such a small town in British Columbia is already in the same sentence as those two pitchers, but Matt knows that this is the kind of stuff that will only make him work harder.
“Being in the same names as those guys makes me want to keep working even harder to get to where I want to be” Matt Wilkinson, Starting LHP, Lynchburg Hillcats.
Tugboat has started his season strong with a 2-0 record, 0.44 ERA, and 41 strikeouts in 20 ⅔ innings pitched.