Mets trade Justin Verlander for former Minnesota baseball star
The New York Mets have traded superstar pitcher Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros, sending shockwaves through Major League Baseball just hours before Tuesday's 5 p.m. CT deadline to make deals.
Interestingly, one of the two prospects the Astros sent to the Mets for Verlander is none other than Minnesota native Drew Gilbert, who was the 28th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Gilbert, a left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder, was a rockstar in Minnesota growing up, having led Stillwater High School to the state championship in 2018. Just a kid at the time, Gilbert threw 95 mph and struck out 15 batters in the state championship game at Target Field.
He went on to star at the University of Tennessee, where he hit .368 and was named the SEC Tournament MVP and an All-American by numerous publications.
Between High-A and Double-A baseball this season, Gilbert has slashed .274/.363/.458 (.822 OPS) with 12 homers, 19 doubles and 38 RBI.
According to MLB Pipeline, he was the Astros' No. 1 prospect.
