Upon joining Mets, red-hot Gilbert thriving in 'new environment'
New York's second-ranked prospect homers, enjoys three-hit night at Double-A
Brendan Samson
@brendan_samsonThere are two main types of Trade Deadlines: the first is the kind where a team bolsters its roster for a deep playoff run; the second is where they move on from big league pieces in hopes of success down the line.
The Mets chose to do the latter in 2023, and if the early play of No. 2 prospect Drew Gilbert is any indication, the future is bright.
Continuing his torrid start at Double-A Binghamton, the No. 56 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline tallied his sixth multihit game for the Rumble Ponies in their 7-4 win over the Sea Dogs on Friday at Mirabito Stadium.
Gilbert went 3-for-3 with a fourth-inning big fly, supplemented by two singles. Facing right-hander Isaac Coffey with nobody on and two outs, the former Tennessee Volunteer launched a rocket into the New York sky, his 14th homer of the season and second with Binghamton.
“At the end of the day, hits are cool, but it’s not something I chase,” Gilbert said. “I go out there and try to get a quality at-bat. There’s a lot more things you can control within that than hits.”
After another standout day, Gilbert is now slashing .367/.418/.571 since being acquired as part of the trade that sent Justin Verlander back to Houston. The Minnesota native has made major strides in his first full season of professional baseball, ascending to Double-A Corpus Christi in the Astros' organization before the deal, a move that made his most recent team change an easier one.
“I don’t want to say it’s the exact same, but it’s a little similar to moving one level to the next,” Gilbert said. “You go from High-A to Double-A, it’s the same sort of concept. Obviously, it’s a completely different organization, but it’s kind of the same -- you’re getting to know your teammates, your new coaches, new environment.”
When MLB Pipeline released its 2023 preseason farm system rankings, the Mets slotted in at No. 11. Their group included four Top 100 prospects: big league contributors Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty, 2022 first-round pick Kevin Parada and 20-year-old outfielder Alex Ramírez.
Just under five months later, in conjunction with the Top 100 re-rank, the new farm system rankings were released, and despite both Alvarez and Baty graduating from prospect status, the Mets' organization landed at the exact same spot, a ranking that can be credited to the talent infusion brought by Gilbert and the other prospects that were acquired at the Deadline.
Acuña, who was acquired in exchange for Max Scherzer, also reported to the Rumble Ponies upon arrival and collected a three-hit night of his own Friday. He added a stolen base, his 50th of the season and eighth since joining Binghamton.
Now sporting new threads, Gilbert and Acuña join an already strong young Mets core that will hope to bring future success to Queens.