Centerpiece of Patrick Bailey trade dominates in SF Giants' organizational debut

On Wednesday, Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson made his organizational debut for the SF Giants. He did not disappont, as he tossed five shutout innings in a 6-5 win over the Erie SeaWolves.

Centerpiece of Patrick Bailey trade dominates in SF Giants' organizational debut

Wilkinson came over to the Giants in the trade over the weekend that sent Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians. The Giants also received the No. 29 pick, along with the slot value that comes with that pick. This will give them a lot of flexibility to spend during the draft.

Oddly enough, the southpaw pitcher's final start with the Guardians organization came against the Richmond Flying Squirrels last week. When the trade happened, all he had to do was switch dugouts.

Wilkinson was selected in the 10th round of the 2023 draft out of Central Arizona College. He received a $110,000 signing bonus to begin his pro career.

Across four minor league seasons, Wilkinson has a 2.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.8 K/9, and a 3.63 SO/W ratio while working primarily as a starter. This includes a 1.59 ERA with 36 strikeouts and nine walks in 28.1 frames for the Akron RubberDucks earlier this season. The study SO/W rate is usually a good predictor of success at the next level.

Wilkinson continued his strong season on Wednesday. He tallied five shutout innings with six strikeouts and zero walks. The Flying Squirrels won that game thanks to a pair of home runs from Parks Harber and Diego Velasquez.

Despite what the high strikeout numbers might say, Wilkinson's profile leans more toward pitchability over stuff. He throws from a low, three-quarters arm slot from the first base side of the mound with above-average extension. To opposing hitters, the releasing point looks like it is coming from second base.

The 23-year-old pitching prospect throws a low 90's fastball with a changeup and slider that sit in the low 80's. The fastball does not flash premium velocity, but the release point, extension, and rising action give it a good pitch shape. These traits allow the pitch to play above its velocity.

Wilkinson leans on his slider as his go-to secondary. That pitch sweeps more than the typical, two-plane tilt of a slider, but it does have some vertical movement. The changeup is a work in progress, but there is not enough velocity separation between that and his fastball at the moment.

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