Brewers 2022 MLB Draft Prospect Profile: Tennessee OF Drew Gilbert

To help prepare you for the 2022 MLB Draft, here at Reviewing the Brew we are profiling draft prospects that could be fits for the Milwaukee Brewers. Today, we’re going to look at Tennessee OF Drew Gilbert.

We’ve already taken a look at some potential college outfielders that the Brewers could look at drafting in Jordan Beck, Sterlin Thompson, and Chase DeLauter because, well, that’s the type of player Milwaukee has targeted in the last couple first rounds. Yet another one the Crew might consider this year is Drew Gilbert out of the University of Tennessee.

Would the Brewers be wise to consider selecting Tennessee OF Drew Gilbert in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft?

While the last two drafts saw the Brewers select players who were highly ranked but dropped lower into the first round in 2020’s Garrett Mitchell and 2021’s Sal Frelick, that wouldn’t be the case here. MLB Pipeline has Gilbert ranked as their 32nd best draft prospect, a few slots below where Milwaukee picks at No. 27.

Gilbert played his high school ball across the border in Stillwater, Minnesota, which is just outside the St. Paul-Minneapolis area. Three years ago, he was actually drafted out of high school by his hometown Twins but opted to attend the University of Tennessee instead of signing.

The Minnesota native began his college career as a two-way player, both coming out of the bullpen and playing the outfield. He didn’t do particularly much of either his freshman year, though, appearing in just four games as a pitcher (8 IP, 5 ER) and 15 as an outfielder (51 PA, .350/.490/.500).

Gilbert saw much more playing time as a sophomore, mostly on the offensive side as he pitched in just seven games but played outfield in 68. As he started focusing primarily on being an outfielder, his slash line dipped but was still decent at .274/.341/.437 and he started showing a little pop as well with 10 homers and 62 runs batted in.

Gilbert’s 2022 junior season saw a true breakout, offensively, and no more pitching. In 58 games, he slashed a whopping .362/.455/.673 with 21 doubles, 11 homers, and 70 RBIs. He also had more walks (33) than strikeouts (32). He finished his career by hitting four homers in the most recent College World Series.

The left-handed Gilbert fits the mold of outfielders the Brewers have drafted in recent seasons. He’s more of a hit over power guy as MLB Pipeline grades him at 55 and 45 in those areas, respectively. He also has above average speed at a 55 grade and strong defense with a 60-grade arm and 55-grade defense.

Depending on how the first round shakes out, there could be a bunch of college outfielders available when the Brewers pick at 27, including some of the ones we’ve profiled earlier. But if Milwaukee goes the outfield route and feels as though Gilbert fits the type of player they’re looking for, they could certainly do a lot worse.

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Draft day is just a few days away. Stay tuned as we continue to profile possible Brewers draftees up until the official pick is made.