Former Tennessee baseball star Drew Gilbert has been having an incredible 2023 so far.
After getting promoted from high-A to AA less than a month into the season, the VFL has continued to impress with the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Houston Astros AA affiliate.
Gilbert’s play has even caught the attention of current Astros star second baseman and José Altuve. When asked what he thought of Gilbert in double-A, Altuve said Gilbert is ‘ready.’
“He’s ready, man,” Houston’s 12-year vet said. “Beautiful swing, made some good plays… I really love the way him and a few more guys on that team are ready to play in the big leagues. You want to see the future of the Astros, go there.”
Jose Altuve on what he thought of Drew Gilbert at Double-A: “He’s ready, man. Beautiful swing, made some good plays… I really love the way him and a few more guys on that team are ready to play in the big leagues. You want to see the future of the Astros, go there.”
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 19, 2023
Altuve’s strong words are another indication of how well Gilbert is playing and how quickly he is making his presence known.
In addition to Altuve’s interview, the former AL MVP was seen talking to Gilbert in the dugout during a Hooks game.
Was able to grab this clip. A few years from now this’ll be a regular site to see pic.twitter.com/EHAZzmmzrO
— ZachbrownTV (@ZachbrownTV) May 19, 2023
After playing only 10 games last summer (four in rookie league and six in low-A) due to an arm injury he sustained crashing into the center field wall, Gilbert has raked so far this season.
The Minnesota native hit six home runs and 15 extra-base hits while driving in 18 runs in just 21 games in Asheville. Those impressive numbers combined with his remarkable .361/.421/.686 slash line and incredible 1.107 OPS was enough to ultimately get called up.
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Since joining the Hooks, Gilbert has appeared in 10 games and is currently hitting .265. In those 10 contests, he has recorded nine hits and driven in five runs.
Gilbert was selected in the 28th overall first round of the 2022 MLB by the Astros. Fast forward nearly a year later, Gilbert has become the Astros’ top prospect in their farm system.
At Tennessee, Gilbert was a core player on and off the field. Gilbert was an everyday starter in his sophomore and junior seasons, the latter of which saw the VFL flourish. In 2022, Gilbert earned First Team All-SEC honors by hitting .362 with 11 home runs, 36 extra-base hits, 70 RBI and an amazing 1.128 OPS.
Given Gilbert’s strong, consistent impact over the course of his career at Tennessee and likely everlasting legacy, it’s not a big surprise the former Vol is receiving high praise from a player of Altuve’s caliber.
