Entering the 2024 season, one of the most hyped prospects in the New York Mets' farm system was outfielder Drew Gilbert. The Mets announced during spring training that Gilbert, who was one of the biggest names acquired in the team's trade deadline fire sale a year ago, would begin the year at AAA Syracuse and presumably have a shot to make the majors with a strong start to the year. Things took a sour turn for Gilbert, who is just now getting his season going, and we'll examine his outlook in this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.
Gilbert, who came over to the Mets in the Justin Verlander trade alongside Ryan Clifford last summer, suffered a serious hamstring injury in April that kept him on the shelf until late July. That lost development time likely cost Gilbert a shot at a big league opportunity this season, but he still has the rest of this summer to get in some at-bats ahead of an important 2025 for him.
The early returns haven't been great for Gilbert, who is hitting just .214 in his first 70 at-bats for Syracuse, but a .321 on-base percentage indicates Gilbert's approach at the plate has remained solid. Scouts remain high on Gilbert's ability to contribute at the big league level as an above-average regular who does everything well. Gilbert has also received rave reviews for his makeup in the clubhouse, making him a potential glue guy for the Mets in the future with the ability to hit for a high average, hit double-digit home runs, run well and play above average defense in any outfield position.
There is a lot to like for Gilbert, who is rated as the Mets' second-best prospect on MLB.com, and it is a shame he hasn't had a full season's worth of playing time to develop his skills at the AAA level. The addition of Jesse Winker at the trade deadline and the pending return of Starling Marte from the injured list reduces the need for Gilbert to make an impact on the 2024 roster, leaving 2025 as a prime target for his big league debut.
The Mets will have at least one opening in the outfield this offseason as Harrison Bader is set to become a free agent and Marte will be entering the final season of his deal. If Gilbert finishes the 2024 season on a strong note, he could convince President of Baseball Operations David Stearns to give him a shot at an everyday job in spring training and allocate some of the club's resources to other areas of need, such as starting pitching or re-signing Pete Alonso. If the Mets feel that 2025 is a year where they want to seriously contend for the postseason, however, Gilbert will have to earn a job against either a retained Bader or another outfielder the Mets bring in during the offseason.
There is an argument for the Mets to carry Gilbert anyway in 2025 as a fourth outfielder who plays multiple times a week to give their veterans rest while aiming to put him in the starting lineup after Marte's contract expires next winter. Gilbert can obviously accelerate that timetable by mashing minor-league pitching, making his progress worth monitoring down the stretch of the season.
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