Wilson: Tugboat makes waves at WBC
Okotoks Dawgs alum Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.) struck out four batters in 2 2/3 scoreless innings for Canada at the World Baseball Classic. Photo: Baseball Canada
*This article was originally published on the Western Canadian Baseball League website on March 15. You can read it here.
March 16, 2026
By Ian Wilson
Western Canadian Baseball League
Tip your cap to Tugboat.
If sports fans didn't know who Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson was before the World Baseball Classic, they sure do now.
The lefty pitcher from Ladner, B.C. played for the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) from 2019 to 2023. In that time, Wilkinson went 6-3 with five saves in 22 games - half of them starts - and racked up 121 strikeouts through 71-plus innings. He was also a member of three WCBL championship teams in Okotoks.
The 6-foot-1 Dawgs Academy grad joined the Cleveland Guardians organization after the Major League Baseball (MLB) team made him a 10th-round pick in the 2023 draft.
In his three minor-league seasons, Wilkinson has a 12-15 record, a 2.98 earned run average (ERA) and 294 strikeouts in 223 2/3 innings as a starting pitcher. Tugboat helped steer the High-A Lake County Captains to a Midwest League championship title in 2024. That same year, he was honoured by the Canadian Baseball Network (CBN) as the winner of the Wayne Norton Award, which is handed out annually to the top Canadian minor-league pitcher.
Having not pitched above High-A, some baseball observers may have been surprised to see the 23-year-old make Canada's roster for the WBC, but Wilkinson proved he belongs among the top MLB and international players.
With Team Canada, the southpaw struck out nine batters and yielded only one hit in 4 2/3 innings of work with the national team. He fanned five Philadelphia Phillies during an exhibition game and another pair of Panama batters during play in Pool A.
But Tugboat saved his best for a winner-take-all quarterfinal matchup against the United States on March 13th at Daikin Park, the home of the Houston Astros.
The eighth inning of that contest saw Wilkinson enter the game and made quick work of his opponents. American third baseman Alex Bregman popped out to second, outfielder Roman Anthony flied out and hard-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh struck out swinging on four pitches.
After Canada went three up, three down in the bottom of the eighth, Wilkinson returned for the ninth inning in a bid to keep his teammates within two runs of tying the game. He walked second sacker Brice Turang, but then a Pete Crow-Armstrong grounder resulted in a double play. Following another free pass to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Wilkinson registered three straight balls to Bryce Harper before charging back with three consecutive strikes for the K.
In his two innings on the bump in their quarterfinal, Tugboat allowed two walks, no hits, no runs and delivered a pair of strikeouts. It was a tidy night for the Guardians prospect against some of the world's best hitters.
Unfortunately for Canada, their comeback bid fell short and the Americans advanced to the semifinals with a 5-3 win, but the Canadians, including Wilkinson, can hold their heads high after proudly representing the nation.
More than 38,000 fans packed into the Houston stadium to watch the U.S. sneak past Canada.
For Wilkinson, who thrilled Dawgs fans in front of crowds of more than 6,000 people at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, it was easily the largest audience he'd pitched in front of.
“It’s a surreal moment,” he told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi.
“It sucks right now because we lost. But looking back at it a couple years down the road, I think it's going to help me in my career going through the minor leagues. I still have a bunch of stuff to work on, but it's a stepping stone and I'm excited to get back to spring training.”
Added Wilkinson: "This has been a great opportunity to play up a higher level of baseball. To be able to strike out some MVP candidates and stuff like that, I wouldn't say it's a dream come true, but just like a good reality check of how good my stuff is.”