By Shooter Hunt
National Crosschecker

 

With the spring season in full swing all across the country, PBR rolled out the spring edition of the 2019 National Rankings. With the recruiting process starting earlier, there are about â…” of the top 300 that have, already (!), committed to colleges. However, there are still excellent players uncommitted on the list (and beyond it), and there were many revelations and growth seen throughout the winter months, and early in the spring. This week, On the Hunt, takes a look at four top, uncommitted players who rose up the rankings. Each of those four players pitches with two of them also playing a position in hopes of being future two-way players. The other four are committed with recent updates. Represented are players from CO/FL/LA/MI/MN/NC/OH/WI.

 

Drew Gilbert, OF/LHP, Stillwater HS, MN, 2019
Gilbert may only stand 5-foot-10, 155-pounds, but he was one of the rising stars that was uncovered at PBR Minnesota’s Preseason Underclass event. The twitchy, athletic Gilbert was impressive in all aspects of the game. He ran a 6.95 60-yard dash to showcase his speed, and followed that up with an 89 mph exit velocity. At the plate, Gilbert does not get cheated with an upright stance that loads with a leg kick that hangs some with his hands working back. Gilbert’s hands are fast, and feature strength that allows him to produce line drives from gap to gap with a level path and an aggressive back side. Gilbert’s athleticism was on full display during the outfield workout, and he confidently charged balls showing off excellent hands while ultimately showcasing his best tool: his arm. Gilbert has a whippy left arm that allowed him to unleash throws up to 89 mph from the outfield with accuracy and carry. On the mound, Gilbert used an uptempo delivery with a slight pause at the balance point that delivered out of a high ¾ slot with whippy quickness. His fastball featured some natural arm side run and sat 86-88 in an early season bullpen. While it might have appeared that he was going to be just a thrower with such a strong arm, Gilbert proceeded to spin a tight, 1/7 curveball (69-70) with multi-tier break that already has the makings of a swing and miss pitch. He threw the pitch with conviction, and it stands to continue getting better as he gets more reps this spring. Gilbert’s bouncy athleticism really stood out on the day, and it should help him continue to improve at a rapid rate. With more plate appearances and innings accumulated on the mound, expect Gilbert to continue to rise as a potential high-level two-way prospect. He will be part of a stellar Minnesota team at August’s Future Games.