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Former Tennessee Vols star Drew Gilbert almost made a big splash - literally - with his first big MLB career milestone

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Craig Smith | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 10:23 PM ET

It had been a slow start to his first stint as a Major League Baseball outfielder for former Tennessee Vols star Drew Gilbert. That's not surprising given it's his first action in the big leagues after a strong year in the minors. That first step is often times a tough one.

But Gilbert rewarded the Giants' patience on Sunday in San Francisco's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. Leading off the seventh with the Giants up 4-0, Gilbert turned in a fastball middle in and crushed it over the wall in right field. The line drive came just feet short of clearing the stands over the wall in right and landing in the famed McCovey Cove.

Home run number 1️⃣ for Drew Gilbert! pic.twitter.com/UAy9jUrtb5
— MLB (@MLB) August 17, 2025

Drew Gilbert's first Major League home run pic.twitter.com/Vpl3Z4zYbB
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 17, 2025

The evening would continue later for Gilbert at the plate, as he would drive in the Giants' final run on a single to right for his second hit and RBI of the game. The two RBIs are also the first of his major league career.

While he didn't end up splashing one in McCovey Cove, he did get splashed after the game by his teammates during the postgame interview in a way every player hopes to - with the celebratory Gatorade shower.

Let's hit the road ✈️ pic.twitter.com/bk3EpPUIiR
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 17, 2025

It had been a tough start for Gilbert since joining the big club back on August 9 during their series against Washington. He had gone just 1 for 18 during that span.

But sometimes all it takes is one big moment to build a little bit of confidence and momentum. We'll see in the coming weeks if that's the case for the former Tennessee Vols standout.

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

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