Fallen NY Mets prospect is suddenly hot, could force the team to make a big decision

Back in 2023, New York Mets fans were excited to acquire prospect Drew Gilbert as part of a package from the Astros for Justin Verlander. Gilbert was a first-round pick the year before the Mets acquired him and was coming off a really strong season at Tennessee. All people talked about was how he played "with his hair on fire," and it looked like the Mets had acquired a future superstar.

However, during his time in the Mets organization, things have not gone the way either the Mets or Gilbert had hoped. In his two-and-a-half seasons as a Met, he has a slash line of .258/.363/.453 with 21 home runs and 95 RBIs. While these stats don't look terrible, they're propped up by a strong 35-game sample from 2023, when he first joined the organization. He's been so disappointing that he's fallen from the Mets' second-best prospect to their ninth-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

While Gilbert seemed like he was destined to be a career minor leaguer, his recent hot streak has people starting to believe again. He recently won Triple-A Player of the Week with a .353 average, three home runs, six RBIs, and a 1.332 OPS over the last five games. This hot streak started well before these last five games. Since the start of June, he's slashed .255/.348/.509 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs. While some will argue that the Mets should keep Gilbert, as he's finally becoming the prospect we thought he would be, the smarter move would be to trade him while his value is high.

Even with his hot streak Drew Gilbert is not a player you can trust and needs to be traded

Trading young prospects is always a risky endeavor. No matter how good the player you're acquiring is, there is always the chance the 20-year-old prospect will be a better player once he reaches the MLB. Look no further than the Javy Baez trade. While Baez played really well during his half-season with the Mets, no one would argue he's a better player than Pete Crow-Armstrong.

But Gilbert is not a player you have to worry about suddenly becoming an All-Star. This is the first time in over a year he's looked like a decent prospect. While his numbers are respectable, they're not enough to signal that he's returning to the player he was at Tennessee. With how he has struggled in Double-A and for most of his time at Triple-A, it would be silly to think this month's sample size is the kind of player he is.

The Mets also have plenty of outfield depth. On the major league roster, the corner spots are locked down for at least the next five years with Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto. The only spot he could take is centerfield, but 2024 first-round pick Carson Benge has performed much better than Gilbert. There has also been talk about young players like Luisangel Acuna and Jett Williams learning center. There is simply no space for Gilbert on the major league roster or in the future.

The only thing this recent stretch is good for is raising Gilbert's value in a potential trade. He could be someone the Mets move or include in a package in order to bring in something that helps the Mets in 2025. Although it's risky to trade young talent, it's smart to move Gilbert while his value is rising.