Who is Drew Gilbert? All you need to know about Mets talented prospect acquired in Justin Verlander deal with Astros

In arguably the biggest trade of the summer, the New York Mets sent future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros for prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. As two of the top prospects in the Astros system, the Mets have landed some key pieces of their future.

While both prospects have exciting futures in professional baseball, Drew Gilbert is regarded as the main prize of the deal for the New York Mets. The 22-year-old outfielder was ranked as the number-one prospect in Houston's farm system, and the number 68 prospect on the MLB Top 100 Prospect List entering the 2023 regular season.

"The Mets are reportedly acquiring the Astros' top-ranked prospect, Drew Gilbert in the Justin Verlander trade. Gilbert was the Astros' first-round pick last year and represented Houston at this year's Futures Game." - @SNY_Mets

The outfielder from St. Paul, Minnesota, has been solid in the minor leagues this season. Through 81 games this year between A+ and Double-A, Gilbert has recorded a .274 batting average with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.

A look at Drew Gilbert's road to the New York Mets

The talented outfielder was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 35th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, however, he opted not to sign with the club. Instead, Gilbert decided to go to college. In the beginning, he had committed to play for the Oregon State Beavers, however, he switch Tennessee Volunteers following coaching changes at Oregon.

"Drew Gilbert was college teammates with Blade Tidwell, who is perhaps the Mets' top pitching prospect. They were at Tennessee together last year. Now Gilbert likely will join Tidwell with Double-A Binghamton." - @timbhealey

After three seasons of college baseball with Tennessee, Gilbert saw his draft stock rise. His production in the NCAA helped Gilbert rise to the first round, where he was selected by the Houston Astros with the 28th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He, along with Ryan Clifford were traded to the New York Mets in exchange for Justin Verlander prior to the MLB Trade Deadline.

Now, Gilbert finds himself as arguably the number one prospect in the New York Mets organization. As the club looks to move on from some of their veteran outfielders such as Mark Canha (traded to the Milwaukee Brewers) and Starling Marte, he may find himself making his MLB debut sooner rather than later.