With the 28th pick of the 1st Round, the Houston Astros selected outfielder Drew Gilbert from the University of Tennessee.
Gilbert put together an incredible junior season slashing .362/.455/.673 with 21 2B, 11 HR, 70 RBI in 58 games. Gilbert was ranked #32 by MLB.com and they had this to say about him:
“Some scouts thought Gilbert had the second-best stuff among upper Midwest high school pitchers in the 2019 Draft (behind Pirates first-rounder Quinn Priester), but his 5-foot-9 frame and college commitment dropped him to his home-state Twins in the 35th round. Although he has pulled double duty at Tennessee and has run his fastball up to 93 mph in a relief role, he has emerged as a better prospect as a center fielder. He homered four times in seven postseason games last June to help the Volunteers reach the College World Series for the first time since 2005, then was the best hitter on a club that ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of this season. A fiery competitor who plays with a lot of emotion, Gilbert has an aggressive approach but also the hand-eye coordination to regularly barrel balls. His left-handed swing can get big when he gets too concerned with home runs, and he’d be a better hitter if he focused more on making quality contact. His bat speed and strength give him enough raw pop to hit 15-20 homers per season without selling out. Gilbert has solid to plus speed and will steal and take extra bases. While he’s not a true burner, his quickness and instincts allow him to run down balls from gap to gap in center field. His plus arm strength would allow him to play anywhere in the outfield, and he also showed feel for spinning a curveball and aptitude for throwing a changeup while drawing some Tim Collins comparisons in high school.”
Gilbert will instantly be on of the top prospect in the Astros system! Congratulations to Drew Gilbert for being drafted to the Houston Astros!
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