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). Born on September 27, 2000, Gilbert came up through the amateur ranks in Minnesota before starring at the University of Tennessee. He was selected in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros and reached the majors with the Giants in 2025.
A center fielder for most of his career, Gilbert is known for his plate discipline, gap power, and competitiveness on the basepaths. His path from a high school state champion in Minnesota to an MLB outfielder has been shaped by steady offensive development and a series of postseason moments at the collegiate and minor league levels.
Early Life and Background
Drew Gilbert grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota, where he attended Stillwater Area High School. Stillwater had not won a state baseball championship since 1991, and as a junior, Gilbert helped change that. He delivered a complete-game shutout in the title game, striking out 15 batters and throwing more than 115 pitches to lead the Ponies to the championship.
He finished that junior season batting .400 while going 7-1 as a pitcher with a 0.63 ERA and 100 strikeouts across more than 55 innings. As a senior in 2019, Gilbert was recognized across the state, earning honors as the St. Paul Pioneer Press Baseball Player of the Year, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, and Minnesota Mr. Baseball. He struck out 97 batters while allowing only one run over 49 innings and also batted .370 with eight stolen bases. The Minnesota Twins selected him in the 35th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, but Gilbert did not sign.
Path to Baseball
Gilbert originally committed to play college baseball at Oregon State, but he switched his commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers after a coaching change with the Beavers during the summer before his freshman year. His first season in Knoxville in 2020 was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he still managed to pitch eight innings and make ten starts in the outfield before play was halted.
As a sophomore in 2021, Gilbert became Tennessee’s starting center fielder and quickly earned conference recognition. He was named Southeastern Conference Newcomer of the Week twice and delivered one of the defining moments of the college baseball postseason, hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Wright State Raiders in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament to give the Volunteers a 9-8 win. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the Knoxville Regional after homering in all three regional games, helping Tennessee reach its first Super Regional in 16 years. He finished 2021 with a .274/.341/.437 slash line, 10 home runs, 62 runs batted in, and 10 stolen bases across 67 starts, and was later named to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team.
Drew Gilbert Career
Early Career (2022)
Gilbert returned as Tennessee’s starting center fielder in 2022 and was named to the All-SEC First Team. He hit .362/.455/.673 with 11 home runs, 70 runs batted in, and 21 doubles across 58 games. Tennessee’s Super Regional run that season ended with a loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but Gilbert’s offensive production cemented his status as a first-round prospect.
The Houston Astros selected Gilbert with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he signed with the club for $2.5 million. He made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Astros and homered in his first at-bat. After four games he was promoted to the Single-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and he finished his first professional season with a .313 average and two home runs across ten games before an August collision in the outfield dislocated his right elbow and ended his year.
Houston Astros System and Mets Trades (2023-2024)
Gilbert opened 2023 with the High-A Asheville Tourists and was promoted to the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks in early May. He was selected to represent the Astros at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game, an early signal of his prospect pedigree. On August 1, 2023, Gilbert and first baseman Ryan Clifford were traded to the New York Mets as part of the package for veteran pitcher Justin Verlander, and he was assigned to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Across 116 total appearances in 2023, he slashed .289/.381/.487 with 18 home runs and 59 runs batted in.
Gilbert began the 2024 season with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets but missed time with a hamstring injury, rehabbing with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Mets and the Single-A St. Lucie Mets. Over 62 games in 2024, he hit .205 with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in. He opened 2025 still dealing with lingering hamstring issues and spent time on the injured list before being activated in mid-April, completing a rehab assignment with St. Lucie and returning to Syracuse.
San Francisco Giants Era (2025-Present)
On July 30, 2025, the New York Mets traded Gilbert along with pitcher José Buttó and pitcher 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 with a .500 average, two runs batted in, two stolen bases, and six walks, forcing a quick call-up. On August 8, 2025, the Giants selected his contract and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time, and he made his MLB debut that night at Oracle Park as San Francisco’s starting right fielder, going 0-for-4.
Gilbert recorded his first MLB hit on August 11, 2025, a single off Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres. On August 17, he hit his first MLB home run, a drive off Mason Englert in a 7-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. Across 39 games during his rookie season with the Giants, Gilbert hit .190 with three home runs and 13 runs batted in. He was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to begin the 2026 season and was recalled to the Giants MLB roster on April 15, 2026. Through June 20, 2026, he was batting .217 with six home runs and 28 runs batted in.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gilbert is a contact-oriented outfielder who relies on a patient approach at the plate, gap power, and the ability to use the whole field. Defensively, his instincts in center field, along with a strong arm, have carried over to right field in the majors, and he continues to refine his reads and routes against big-league pitching.
Notable Events and Milestones
Gilbert’s career has been defined by a handful of signature moments, including his walk-off grand slam against Wright State in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, his 2023 All-Star Futures Game selection, his inclusion in the Justin Verlander trade, and his first MLB hit and home run during his rookie summer with the Giants.
Drew Gilbert Career Wins
Drew Gilbert has built a resume of team championships and individual postseason honors that began in high school and continued through college and the minor leagues. His state title with Stillwater, Most Outstanding Player award at the 2021 Knoxville Regional, and 2023 All-Star Futures Game appearance anchor that list.
College and Minor League Highlights
With Stillwater Area High School, Gilbert won a Minnesota state championship and was named the state’s top player as a senior in 2019. At Tennessee, he helped the Volunteers reach the Super Regional for the first time in 16 years and was named to the All-SEC First Team in 2022. In the minors, he has climbed steadily from the Florida Complex League through High-A Asheville, Double-A Corpus Christi, and Double-A Binghamton, reaching Triple-A Syracuse and Sacramento.
Drew Gilbert Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Gilbert’s family supported his baseball career from his earliest years in Stillwater, Minnesota, where he developed into one of the top amateur players in the state. Details about his parents and siblings have not been publicly confirmed.
Personal Life
Gilbert has kept most of his personal life private. His full name is Andrew Christopher Gilbert, and he is known to fans and teammates by the nickname Drew, which has become his professional baseball name.
2025 Season Performance
Gilbert’s 2025 season was split between the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants organizations. After beginning the year rehabbing a hamstring injury in the lower minors, he returned to Triple-A Syracuse before being part of the July 30 trade that sent him, José Buttó, and Blade Tidwell to the Giants for Tyler Rogers.
With the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, Gilbert produced a .500 average across five games with two runs batted in, two stolen bases, and six walks, prompting the Giants to select his contract on August 8. He debuted that night at Oracle Park and went 0-for-4 as San Francisco’s starting right fielder. He collected his first MLB hit on August 11 against Yu Darvish and his first home run on August 17 against Mason Englert, finishing his rookie campaign with a .190 average, three home runs, and 13 runs batted in over 39 games.
The 2025 season established Gilbert as a young outfielder who could contribute at the major league level after overcoming injury setbacks. With a full offseason ahead and a clearer role in the Giants’ outfield, his outlook for the following year pointed toward continued development, more consistent at-bats against big-league pitching, and a chance to push for a more permanent spot on San Francisco’s roster.
