Drew Gilbert Recreates Memorable Tennessee Moment During Mets Spring Training #1

New York Mets outfielder Drew Gilbert, a former standout at the University of Tennessee, went viral over the weekend for recreating a memorable moment from his college days during spring training. Gilbert, who was traded to https://www.storenymets.com/collections//products/mens-12-francisco-lindor-new-york-mets-gray-replica-road-jersey the Mets from the Houston Astros in 2023, hit a home run off teammate Brandon Sproat during live batting practice on Sunday, reigniting a friendly rivalry from their SEC days.

This isn’t the first time Gilbert has homered off Sproat. In 2022, when Gilbert was a star for the Tennessee Volunteers and Sproat was an All-SEC pitcher for the Florida Gators, Gilbert took Sproat deep in a series-clinching win for the Vols. That 2022 Tennessee team remains one of the most memorable in program history, despite falling short in the Knoxville Super Regional against Notre Dame.

The reunion of Gilbert and Sproat, now teammates with the Mets, highlights the small-world nature of baseball. Adding to the Tennessee connection is right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell, who started for the Vols in that 2022 game against Florida. Tidwell, a second-round pick by the Mets in the 2022 MLB Draft, is also in Port St. Lucie for spring training.

While Gilbert, Sproat, and Tidwell are not expected to break camp with the Mets and will likely begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse, all three players https://www.storenymets.com/collections//products/womens-12-francisco-lindor-new-york-mets-royal-replica-alternate-jersey could be in line for their MLB debuts at some point in 2025. Their development and progress will be closely watched as the Mets continue to build for the future.