Astros 1st-Round Draft Pick Drew Gilbert Done for the Year

With the 28th pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft, the Houston Astros selected Drew Gilbert from Tennessee.  The bat flip king started his minor league journey this summer in the Florida gulf coast league, but the 5’9” centerfielder needed just four games to leave rookie ball in the dust. Gilbert smashed the cover off the ball, hitting .455 with an OPS of 1.418 and one home run with four runs batted in.

He was then called up to single-A Fayetteville and picked up where he left off. He slashed .238/.273/.381 with an OPS of .654, adding a home run and two RBI with the home run coming in his first at-bat after getting promoted. Gilbert also swiped three bases in both A-ball and rookie ball.

His inaugural minor league season came to a halt, however, when he crashed into the outfield wall on August 13th and had to be carted off the field, as reported by Chris Welch.  Chandler Rome reported today that Gilbert will be rehabbing his right elbow as it had dislocated and randomly went back into place prior to the doctor’s examination.

Drew Gilbert is expected to start right away next season with no time lost for rehabbing. The Astros’ depleted farm system, especially at center field, lost another prime prospect and thus delayed any further development for that position this season.  Gilbert could, of course, have a quick rise next season from single-A to double or even all the way to triple-A if he continues to excel but he will have to work for it as he will lose out on a month’s worth of at-bats.

Astros (and Woodpeckers) fans will miss him, but I’m sure they will be excited to see him back on the field next season.  Time will tell just how much (if any) impact this has on his career trajectory, but it is assumed it would be minimal.