Mets fans will have to wait for Drew Gilbert in 2025

Mets fans are going to have to wait a bit longer to see prospect Drew Gilbert getting to the big leagues.

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

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.

Read More: MLB Pipeline's Mets top 30 prospects released

How could Gilbert's path for Queens in 2025 be forged? There already have been instances where Brandon Nimmo might have to be used as a DH and even sit out games due to his lingering injury issues. If Siri and Taylor are going to be occupying CF on a regular basis, there could be a chance that Gilbert can see some time in left field in case of an emergency. He has played 25 games in the minor leagues, so the Mets may move him around and use his athleticism to a corner outfield position.

For improvements that need to be made by Gilbert, it is stated that he will likely need to show more power in his return to play. If his hamstring properly heals, fans could see the electric play that made him coveted in the Justin Verlander trade.

There may or may not be a big league appearance for Drew Gilbert in 2025, but one thing is for sure: the Mets are going about player development with patience and putting players in the best situation possible to thrive in the future. This is a course of action that hasn't been taken by New York in decades, but it's exactly what players like Gilbert need.