Adam Wilk

Adam Robert Wilk

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 180 lb.
• School California State University, Long Beach
• High School Cypress High School
• Debut May 26, 2011
• Final Game June 17, 2017
• Born December 9, 1987 in Anaheim, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Adam Wilk was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 11th round of the 2009 amateur draft. He was signed by scout Phil Huttmann and made his pro debut that summer.

Following the 2011 season during which he made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers, left-handed pitcher Wilk took a job in the athletic department of his alma mater, Long Beach State University, to spend the off-season. He worked in the ticket sales department for the basketball program. The Tigers had asked him to rest his elbow after an injury ended his season early. He gave up 10 runs in 13 1/3 innings spread over five relief appearances in May and June, but was not called up when rosters expanded in September, as a result of his elbow issues.

Wilk is not a power pitcher, using his fastball mainly to hit the corners of the strike zone and relying on his change-up as an out pitch, combined with a herky-jerky pitching motion that throws off batters. He has excellent control however, walking only 14 in 102 2/3 innings for the AAA Toledo Mud Hens in 2011. Catcher Alex Avila compared his pitching style to that of long-time Chicago White Sox starter Mark Buehrle.

On May 7, 2017, he returned to the majors to make en emergency start for the New York Mets, who had just issued a three-game suspension to scheduled starter Matt Harvey for violating team rules. He had to travel all night to make it from Las Vegas, NV to Citi Field, but did not last four innings against the Miami Marlins, giving up two long home runs to Giancarlo Stanton and one to Adeiny Hechevarria and being charged with a 7-0 loss. The Mets would have liked to keep him around longer, but had to place him on waivers because of a roster crunch, and on May 10th he was claimed by the Minnesota Twins.

Related Sites

• Adam Wilk on mlb.com
• Long Beach bio