SF Giants fans already making 'Tugboat' memes about prospect acquired in Bailey trade

The SF Giants made a lot of news over the weekend by trading away their two-time Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians. While that was the headline, what may have gone under the radar is the prospect the Giants got in return.

In exchange for Bailey, the Guardians sent San Francisco the No. 29 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and left-handed pitcher Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson. The Giants may be losing a guy who wore a bandana depicting George Washington crossing the Delaware, but they’re getting back a dude named Tugboat so that seems like an equal trade at least in terms of uniqueness of the players involved.

Wilkinson is a 23-year-old from Canada. He is 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 250 pounds so it’s no secret why he got the nickname. He’s a big dude and Giants fans have wasted no time making memes about Wilkinson.

Giants fans can't wait to see 'Tugboat' in action someday

There was a good one on Reddit with Wilkinson’s face on a tugboat. Another one depicted what McCovey Cove could look like soon littered with tugboats so it seems people are already brainstorming transportation tie-ins the way they used to with Joey Bart and BART.

It’s fun to get a guy with such a unique nickname, but it’s worth digging into whether he could actually be an impactful player with the Giants someday. He was assigned to Double-A Richmond so he’s probably at least a year or two away from a potential promotion to the big leagues, but if he impresses there’s a chance he could move his way up pretty quick.

So far this season in Cleveland’s system he had a 1.59 ERA in six starts. He has 36 strikeouts and nine walks in 28 and 1/3 innings pitched. He had a 4.24 ERA in 25 starts last year and a 1.90 ERA in 24 starts in 2024. He even pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic this year and turned in two scoreless outings.

Looking at the guys highlights, he’s definitely got some promise and some swagger on the mound. He doesn’t have a ton of velocity as his fastball mainly lives in the high 80s and low 90s, but he’s known for throwing an “Invisi-ball” that seems to get to the plate quickly and befuddles hitters thanks to Wilkinson’s low release.

He’s a fascinating prospect to say the least. We’ll see if he can continue to pitch well with the Giants and if he can expect fans to fully capitalize on that nickname. Giants players have had some pretty great nicknames over the years between “the Panda” or “the Baby Giraffe” and “the Reverend” but “Tugboat” would definitely have to be up there.

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