Tennessee OF Drew Gilbert a Popular Pick for Brewers in Mock Drafts
By Paul Bretl
In our first edition of Brewers 2022 Mock Draft Roundup & Takeaways, there were two names in particular that dominated the mock drafts for Milwaukee.
One was James Madison centerfielder Chase DeLauter, who I wrote about recently, along with Tennessee outfielder Drew Gilbert.
Before even diving into Gilbert’s numbers, he very much fits the mold of a David Stearns selection in the first round of the draft. For starters, he plays an up-the-middle position in centerfield. If you go back and look at Milwaukee’s draft picks over the last decade-plus, the non-pitchers either play catcher, shortstop, second baseman, or centerfielder.
Gilbert is also an accomplished college hitter, which again, has been an emphasis for the Brewers over the years in the draft, and I imagine that will be a priority once again in 2022.
It’s clear that the Brewers are quite effective at developing pitching, but that can’t be said for hitters. In fact, this organization as a whole could very much use an infusion of some high-upside bats.
Gilbert has three seasons worth of playing time at Tennessee, with nearly 600 plate appearances during that span. The bulk of his playing time came in 2021 and 2022, with this year being a big year at the plate for him.
In 2021, Gilbert would slash .274/.341/.437, totaling a .778 OPS with 10 home runs and only 15 walks to 40 strikeouts. However, this past season, he took a major step forward with his batting average and OPS sky-rocketing to .362 and 1.128, respectively. Gilbert also drew more walks in fewer plate appearances – 33 to be exact — and hit 11 home runs with 25 extra-base hits, compared to just 13 the year before.
The left-handed-hitting Gilbert stands 5’9″ and weighs 185 pounds. He is MLB.com’s 32nd ranked prospect in this year’s draft class and has an overall grade of 50 (out of 80), specifically with a hit grade of 55, a power grade of 45, a run grade of 55, an arm grade of 60, and 55 in the field.
For more on Gilbert’s game and what he could potentially bring to the Brewers’ organization, here is what MLB.com’s scouting report had to say about him:
"“A fiery competitor who plays with a lot of emotion, Gilbert has an aggressive approach but also the hand-eye coordination to regularly barrel balls. His left-handed swing can get big when he gets too concerned with home runs, and he’d be a better hitter if he focused more on making quality contact. His bat speed and strength give him enough raw pop to hit 15-20 homers per season without selling out.“Gilbert has solid to plus speed and will steal and take extra bases. While he’s not a true burner, his quickness and instincts allow him to run down balls from gap to gap in center field. His plus arm strength would allow him to play anywhere in the outfield.”"
July 17th is the first round of the MLB Draft, and the Milwaukee Brewers hold the 27th overall selection. If Gilbert is still on the board at that time, he very well could be a prospect that has caught the eye of Stearns and Co., given his strong 2022 season along with the other aspects of his game that fits what the Brewers typically prioritize.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference