Mets Prospect Drew Gilbert Successfully Challenges Check Swing in Arizona Fall League

Drew Gilbert became the first player to challenge a check swing call in the Arizona Fall League, and the New York Mets top prospect drew a walk after winning his appeal.

Binghamton's Drew Gilbert connects for a three-run home run, tying the game 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Erie SeaWolves won, 9-6, in the first game of the Eastern League championship series on Sept. 25, 2023. / Jeff Miller / Special to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Arizona Fall League exists to give young players some extra reps after the regular season comes to a close, further preparing top prospects for the majors.

But, on Tuesday night, the league made history in a whole new way.

The Scottsdale Scorpions were taking on the Salt River Rafters in a run-of-the-mill exhibition game. In the top of the second inning, New York Mets prospect Drew Gilbert stepped up to the plate for the Scorpions.

Gilbert worked his way to a 3-1 count, then got called for a strike on a half-swing. The 24-year-old outfielder disagreed with third base umpire Darius Ghani, believing he had actually held up.

So, Gilbert tapped his helmet and initiated a review of the check swing – something that had never been done before. MLB is giving check swing challenges a test run in the Arizona Fall League, and Gilbert was the first to take advantage.

An animation of Gilbert's swing was shown on the video board in left field, and the call was overturned. Gilbert trotted down to first base, and he came around to score on a home run shortly after.

The Scorpions went on to win 8-6, thanks in large part to Gilbert's successful challenge.

Mets prospect Drew Gilbert was the first player in the Arizona Fall League to challenge a check swing, and here's a video of the process from @BaseballAmerica.

This challenge was on a 3-1 pitch, so the ultimate result was Gilbert walking instead of facing a 3-2 pitch. pic.twitter.com/piscuvPqKN

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) October 23, 2024

Gilbert wasn't the only one to call for a review on Tuesday night, either. New York Yankees prospect Garrett Martin also initiated a successful challenge later on in the contest.

Still, Gilbert will be the one who goes down in history as the first player to overturn a check swing call.

Gilbert was the Houston Astros' first round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, although he was traded to the Mets in exchange for Justin Verlander a year later. He is currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Mets' farm system and the No. 74 prospect in all of baseball.

The Tennessee product is a .262 hitter with an .811 OPS in his minor league career, racking up 30 home runs, 98 RBI and 21 stolen bases across 189 games.

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