Feb 20, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets outfielder Drew Gilbert (89) poses for a photo during picture day at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Mets fans will have to wait for Drew Gilbert in 2025

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI
By Martino Puccio | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The New York Mets are seemingly taking it slow with one of their top prospects.

On Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that outfielder Drew Gilbert will likely miss all of 2025 spring training. Last year, the 24-year-old played just 62 games in the minor leagues due to a hamstring injury, and the Mets intend to carefully bring him back to health; he is expected to be ready for Opening Day in the minors.

Outfield prospect Drew Gilbert may not play at all in Grapefruit League games, because the Mets intend to take him slow coming off a 2024 season mostly lost to a hamstring injury. But the Mets do expect Gilbert to be ready for Minor League Opening Day.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 3, 2025

If the early days of the David Stearns era have indicated any organizational practices, one of them is that the Mets will be patient when developing their prospects. This has been demonstrated with the likes of Mark Vientos, Brandon Sproat, and others.

With the Mets already having Jose Siri, Tyrone Taylor, and even Alexander Canario, it wasn't easy to see a path for Gilbert to make the big leagues out of camp. He doesn't have a clear path to get game time at the moment, considering all the players listed above will be serviceable for the Mets for at least 2025. This is exactly what falls in line with what the Mets are trying to do when seasoning their prospects.

Edwin Díaz and Drew Gilbert put on a show in live BP pic.twitter.com/QDk44bzpav
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 28, 2025

Gilbert has also fallen in terms of top prospects for the ball club, dropping outside of the top 10 on the team's prospect rankings for the first time since he has arrived at the organization. That can mean a few things: with the Mets' improved farm system, even talented players like Gilbert may slide down. But it could also be a direct result of Gilbert's injury-plagued 2024 and being a bit older than other prospects in the system.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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