Drew Gilbert Bio
Andrew Christopher Gilbert, known professionally as Drew Gilbert, is an American professional baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). A former first-round draft pick, Gilbert has moved steadily through the minor leagues since 2022, building a reputation as a patient, power-capable outfielder. He played college baseball for the Tennessee Volunteers before launching his professional career.
Early Life and Background
Drew Gilbert grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota, where he attended Stillwater Area High School and emerged as one of the most decorated amateur players in the state. As a junior, he helped lead Stillwater to its first state championship since 1991, striking out 15 batters in a complete-game shutout and finishing the year batting .400 with a 7–1 record, a 0.63 ERA, and 100 strikeouts over 55⅔ innings on the mound. His senior season brought statewide recognition: he was named the St. Paul Pioneer Press Baseball Player of the Year, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, and Minnesota Mr. Baseball, while batting .370 with eight stolen bases and striking out 97 batters while allowing only one run over 49 innings.
Following high school, the Minnesota Twins selected Gilbert in the 35th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, but he did not sign. He originally committed to play college baseball at Oregon State before switching his commitment to Tennessee after a coaching change in Corvallis during the summer before his freshman year. The Volunteers gave him a platform to develop into one of the top outfield prospects in college baseball.
Path to Baseball
Gilbert arrived at Tennessee in 2020, but his freshman season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic after only eight innings on the mound and ten starts in the outfield. As a sophomore in 2021, he became Tennessee’s starting center fielder and gained national attention by hitting an ultimate grand slam against Wright State in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament, a 9–8 Volunteers win. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the Knoxville Regional after homering in all three games, helping Tennessee reach its first Super Regional in 16 years, and finished the year with a .274/.341/.437 slash line, ten home runs, 62 RBI, and ten stolen bases.
In 2022, Gilbert returned as Tennessee’s starting center fielder and was named to the All-SEC First Team, though he was suspended one game during the Super Regional against Notre Dame for arguing a strike call. He closed the season slashing .362/.455/.673 with 11 home runs, 70 RBI, and 21 doubles. After the year, he was selected to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team alongside teammate Blade Tidwell, cementing his status as a top prospect heading into the 2022 MLB Draft.
Drew Gilbert Career
Early Career (2022–2023)
The Houston Astros selected Gilbert in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he signed for $2.5 million. He made his professional debut with the Florida Complex League Astros and homered in his first at-bat before a promotion to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. His first full season ended in August 2022 when he dislocated his right elbow on an outfield collision, limiting him to ten games in which he hit .313 with two home runs.
Gilbert opened 2023 with the Asheville Tourists and was promoted to the Corpus Christi Hooks in early May, where he continued to produce. Over 116 total appearances that season, he slashed .289/.381/.487 with 18 home runs and 59 RBI. His strong play earned him a spot on the Astros roster for the 2023 All-Star Futures Game.
New York Mets Era (2023–2025)
On August 1, 2023, the Astros traded Gilbert and Ryan Clifford to the New York Mets in exchange for Justin Verlander, and he was assigned to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He began 2024 with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, though a hamstring injury cost him time and required rehab stints with the Florida Complex League Mets and Single-A St. Lucie Mets. In 62 games, he hit .205 with ten home runs and 33 RBI. Gilbert opened 2025 on the injured list with lingering hamstring issues, was activated in mid-April, and returned to Syracuse after a short rehab assignment in St. Lucie.
San Francisco Giants Era (2025–Present)
On July 30, 2025, the Mets traded Gilbert, José Buttó, and Blade Tidwell to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for reliever Tyler Rogers. In five appearances for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, Gilbert went 7-for-14 (.500) with two RBI, two stolen bases, and six walks, forcing the Giants to promote him. On August 8, 2025, the Giants selected his contract and brought him to the majors, and he made his MLB debut that night as the starting right fielder at Oracle Park. On August 17, 2025, Gilbert hit his first MLB home run off Mason Englert in a 7–1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, announcing his arrival in the big leagues.
Notable Events and Milestones
Gilbert’s path has been punctuated by signature moments, beginning with the ultimate grand slam against Wright State in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and his run to the Knoxville Regional Most Outstanding Player award. His first professional home run came in his first at-bat with the Florida Complex League Astros, and his first MLB home run came on August 17, 2025, in a decisive Giants win over the Rays, marking the latest milestone in a rapidly developing career.
Drew Gilbert Career Wins
Gilbert’s win totals are tracked primarily at the collegiate and minor league levels, where his standout seasons at Tennessee and steady run through Houston’s and New York’s farm systems established him as a reliable run producer. The most clearly verified championship is his role on Stillwater’s state title team in 2018, followed by his NCAA postseason heroics in 2021.
Drew Gilbert Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public details about Gilbert’s family background and personal life are limited. Available sources do not provide verified information about his parents, siblings, or extended family, so further details are omitted in accordance with editorial standards.
2025 Season Performance
Gilbert’s 2025 campaign began on the injured list as he recovered from the hamstring issues that hampered him in 2024, but he was activated in mid-April and returned to Syracuse. After a rehab stint with St. Lucie, he rejoined the Mets’ top affiliate and continued to work on timing and health. His strong early returns at the plate positioned him for a midseason opportunity when the Mets chose to reshape their roster.
That opportunity came on July 30, 2025, when the Mets traded him to the Giants as part of the package for Tyler Rogers. Gilbert responded with a 7-for-14 stretch at Triple-A Sacramento, prompting San Francisco to call him up on August 8. His first MLB homer nine days later, a 7–1 win over Tampa Bay, signaled the kind of impact at-bat the Giants envisioned when they acquired him, and it set an encouraging tone for the remainder of his rookie season.