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Blue Jays Nation’s Top 25 Canadian Baseball Prospects for 2026: #20 Matt Wilkinson
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Photo credit: © Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 31, 2026, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 31, 2026, 11:36 EST
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The Cleveland Guardians drafted a Canadian pitcher in the 10th round in both the 2022 and 2023 drafts. Matt Wilkinson was that lucky pitcher drafted in 2023, and he’s made some waves in the Guardians’ system.

# 20 – Matt Wilkinson

Hometown: Ladner, British Columbia
Organization: Cleveland Guardians
Draft: 10th round, 2023 (CLE)
Position: Pitcher
Bats/Throws: Right/Left
Born in Ladner, British Columbia, Wilkinson stands at 6’1”, 250 lbs and throws left-handed. He spent two seasons at Central Arizona, a junior college, and posted a 1.07 ERA in 84 innings heading into the 2023 draft.
The Guardians selected the Canadian in the 10th round and he pitched an inning to end the 2023 season, striking out all three batters he faced. Wilkinson broke out in 2024, beginning the season with the Guardians’ Single-A team. Over 40.1 innings pitched, the left-handed pitcher had a 1.12 ERA and 1.45 FIP in 40.1 innings pitched.
Upon his promotion to High-A, Wilkinson had a 2.30 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 78.1 innings pitched, giving him a season ERA of 1.90 with a FIP of 2.69. Overall, he struck out 37.6% of the batters he faced in 2023, posting an 8 BB%.
That set him up nicely for the 2025 season, as he ranked as Blue Jays Nation’s fourth-best Canadian prospect entering 2025.

2025 season

Wilkinson took a step back in his first full season in High-A. Playing the entire season with the Lake County Captains, the left-handed pitcher authored an ERA of 4.24 and a FIP of 4.17 over 25 starts, or 104 innings pitched. Moreover, Wilkinson’s K% plummeted, going from 37.6% in 2024 to just 26.2% in 2025, while his BB% increased from 8% to 10.1%.
Thanks to his 2025 season, Wilkinson ranked as Fangraphs’ 13th-best prospect in the Guardians farm system heading into next season, ranking seven spots behind former Blue Jays prospect Khal Stephen. His scouting report notes that he’s not a hard thrower, averaging a fastball that sits just in the high-80s and low 90s. Attributes like extension and delivery helps the pitch play up.
One change that Wilkinson made in 2025 was throwing his slider for more strikes, according to that same Fangraphs scouting report. Both the fastball and slider are currently considered “average” pitches, while his changeup is below-average with the potential to be above-average.

Looking ahead to 2026

The 2026 season needs to be a big one for the pitcher nicknamed “Tugboat”. In his age-22 season, he showed signs of regression in his second season at the High-A level, as his ERA, FIP, and BB% increased, while his strikeout rate decreased.
There’s a good chance the left-handed pitcher will find his way in the upper-minors in 2026, whether that be a mid-season promotion or beginning the season there is yet to be determined. He’ll be facing better hitters with the ability to lay off uncompetitive pitches. His performance will be a big determining factor if he’ll be able to hit his ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.
It’ll be interesting to see how he does once reaching the the upper-minors in 2026.
Previous rankings:
#21 – Jacob Zibin
#22 – Eric Hartman
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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