Giants to call up Wilkinson
Okotoks Dawgs and Canadian national team alum Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C) is being called up by the San Francisco Giants. Photo: Baseball Canada
August 17, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Okotoks Dawgs grad Matt Wilkinson will be called up by the San Francisco Giants.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the transaction just after noon E.T. on Monday.
Nicknamed “Tugboat,” the 6-foot-1, 250-pound left-hander has posted a combined 6-6 record with a 3.40 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 90 innings between the double-A and triple-A levels in the Giants and Cleveland Guardians organizations this season.
Most recently he had a 3-4 record and a 5.15 ERA in 10 starts for the Giants’ triple-A Sacramento River Cats.
On May 9, the Cleveland Guardians traded Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.), along with the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft, to the Giants for catcher Patrick Bailey.
In six starts for the Guardians’ double-A Akron RubberDucks prior to the trade, the 23-year-old southpaw possessed a 1.59 ERA and struck out 36 batters in 28 1/3 innings.
This followed his outstanding performance for Canada at the World Baseball Classic in which he didn’t allow a hit, while fanning four, in 2 2/3 innings in two outings.
The Dawgs Academy alum was selected in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB draft by the Guardians.
In 2024, Wilkinson was named the Canadian Baseball Network’s Wayne Norton Award winner, as top Canuck pitcher in the affiliated minor league ranks. With the Guardians’ Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats and High-A Lake County Captains that season, he posted a combined 1.90 ERA in 24 starts, spanning 118 2/3 innings. He also struck out 174 batters, which were the second-most by any pitcher in the affiliated minor league ranks and topped minor league pitchers in strikeout percentage (38%) and was second in ERA and batting average against (.169).
In total, in parts of four pro seasons, he owns an 18-21 record and a 3.10 ERA in 70 appearances (69 starts). He has 390 strikeouts in 313 2/3 innings.
When Wilkinson makes his MLB debut, he’ll become the fifth Canadian to debut this year, joining Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.) with the Kansas City Royals, Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.) with the Detroit Tigers, Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) with the Toronto Blue Jays and Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Per Canadian baseball historian Tyler Partridge, Wilkinson will become the first Canadian to play for the Giants since left-hander Ken MacKenzie (Gore Bay, Ont.) in 1964.