Meatwad
formerly shake
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Tugboat getting some national attention from The Athletic today.
Every year, players emerge from relative obscurity to establish themselves as legitimate prospects for their organizations. Now that we are nearly a month into the 2024 minor-league season, it’s a good time to see if we can identify who some of those breakout prospects will be. Below are 20 players who weren’t ranked among their organization’s top-10 prospects at the start of the season but are off to notable starts, beginning with a left-hander in the Guardians organization who has earned a significant online following with a strong April.
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Matt Wilkinson, LHP, Cleveland Guardians (not ranked): Wilkinson is a 6-foot-1, 270-pound left-hander from British Columbia who went to Central Arizona Junior College and has the nickname “Tugboat.” Even if Wilkinson wasn’t pitching like a young Clayton Kershaw, we probably should have been talking about him, but the fact that he is dominating in historic fashion makes him the perfect person to kick off this piece.
Wilkinson was Cleveland’s 10th-round pick last year out of Central Arizona, where he had a 1.38 ERA and struck out 221 batters in 137 innings over two seasons. He threw only one inning in his pro debut last year, so this is the first we are really getting to see Wilkinson in pro ball. The results have been dazzling. On Thursday, he threw six hitless innings for Low-A Lynchburg, striking out 15 of the 19 batters he faced. Lest you think that was a fluky outing, Wilkinson came into that start having allowed just one run in 14 2/3 innings with 24 strikeouts.
Wilkinson arrived in pro ball with an above-average spin rate on his low-90s fastball, which he commands extremely well. He also features a changeup and slider, both of which he can throw for strikes. He turned 21 in December but it may not be much longer before the Guardians see if he can plow through rougher waters in High A.
Twenty underrated MLB prospects off to fast starts: Matt Wilkinson, Jonah Tong and more
By Melissa LockardEvery year, players emerge from relative obscurity to establish themselves as legitimate prospects for their organizations. Now that we are nearly a month into the 2024 minor-league season, it’s a good time to see if we can identify who some of those breakout prospects will be. Below are 20 players who weren’t ranked among their organization’s top-10 prospects at the start of the season but are off to notable starts, beginning with a left-hander in the Guardians organization who has earned a significant online following with a strong April.
...
Matt Wilkinson, LHP, Cleveland Guardians (not ranked): Wilkinson is a 6-foot-1, 270-pound left-hander from British Columbia who went to Central Arizona Junior College and has the nickname “Tugboat.” Even if Wilkinson wasn’t pitching like a young Clayton Kershaw, we probably should have been talking about him, but the fact that he is dominating in historic fashion makes him the perfect person to kick off this piece.
Wilkinson was Cleveland’s 10th-round pick last year out of Central Arizona, where he had a 1.38 ERA and struck out 221 batters in 137 innings over two seasons. He threw only one inning in his pro debut last year, so this is the first we are really getting to see Wilkinson in pro ball. The results have been dazzling. On Thursday, he threw six hitless innings for Low-A Lynchburg, striking out 15 of the 19 batters he faced. Lest you think that was a fluky outing, Wilkinson came into that start having allowed just one run in 14 2/3 innings with 24 strikeouts.
Wilkinson arrived in pro ball with an above-average spin rate on his low-90s fastball, which he commands extremely well. He also features a changeup and slider, both of which he can throw for strikes. He turned 21 in December but it may not be much longer before the Guardians see if he can plow through rougher waters in High A.