Things are only getting worse for NY Mets prospect with major health concerns

There was a lot of excitement when the New York Mets acquired Drew Gilbert from the Houston Astros as part of the Justin Verlander trade. Gilbert was described as a player who "played with his hair on fire." During his time at Tennessee and the Astros organization, he played with a lot of energy and passion, with some comparing him to Lenny Dykstra. The way he ended 2023 only increased the hype surrounding him as he slashed .325/.423/.561 with six home runs and 21 RBI through 35 games at Double-A Binghamton.

However, 2024 was a season to forget for Gilbert. He spent most of the season with a hamstring injury, causing him to miss nearly three months. On the field, he underperformed, slashing .205/.313/.371 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 62 games. Things only got worse in the Arizona Fall League, where he had a .783 OPS over 21 games. Despite hopes he can turn it around in 2025, things have gotten off to a rough start.

Why there are lots of concerns surronding Drew Gilbert

On Monday, manager Carlos Mendoza announced that Gilbert was unlikely to appear in any spring training games in 2025. Instead, he'll get work on the back fields as he tries to fully recover from the hamstring injury. The good news is Gilbert has not appeared to suffer any setbacks so as long as he gets some reps in he should be able to start the season in Triple-A Syracuse as an everyday starter.

This came on the heels of the release of MLB Pipeline's top 30 Mets prospects for 2025. Gilbert ranked as the 11th-best prospect in the system. This is a far drop from where he was at the start of 2024 when he was the third-best prospect in the Mets system and 53rd prospect in all of baseball.

While Mendoza and the Mets didn't seem overly concerned about Gilbert's status, fans should still monitor it. If Gilbert's injury is not a problem and the Mets still see him as part of their future, he should appear in a spring training game, even if it's only for a couple of innings at the end of the game. Playing and practicing in the backfield does not prepare a player like playing in exhibition games does.

This is not the start of the season Gilbert wanted to have, especially when 2025 feels like a make-or-break year. With the Mets signing Juan Soto, Gilbert's natural position in right field is gone. Plus, with Brandon Nimmo moving to left field and under contract until 2030, it's unlikely Gilbert can slide in to play there. The Mets also have several higher-rated prospects who can play in the outfield, including Jett Williams and Carson Benge, who are better suited to play center.

Gilbert needs a big season in 2025 to prove to the front office and the organization he's still the player he was when they acquired him. If he struggles again, he could find himself in a similar situation as Kevin Parada and Alex Ramirez.