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Former Tennessee Vols baseball standout Drew Gilbert involved in a first for MLB

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Oct 23, 2024 3:18 PM ET

Former Tennessee Vols outfielder Drew Gilbert was involved in an MLB first this week.

Gilbert, who is a prospect in the New York Mets' farm system, is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League (which is owned and operated by MLB).

MLB is testing a check-swing challenge system in the Arizona Fall League this year. And this week, Gilbert became the first player to challenge a check-swing call.

Gilbert won the challenge when it was ruled that he didn't swing on a 3-1 pitch. Winning the challenge meant a walk for Gilbert instead of facing a 3-2 count.

Here's the video of the swing and what's shown on the video board when a check-swing is challenged.

Check-swing calls, likes balls and strikes, are subjective. As a result, the calls after often argued by fans/players/media. This system, however, puts some objectivity into the process.

At some point in the not-so-distant future, I'd expect this system to make its way to the big leagues. And if/when it does, Gilbert might be the answer to a trivia question one day.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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