Drew Gilbert hasn’t been in San Francisco long, but it’s already clear why Giants fans are all-in on the rookie outfielder. Just ask Tony Vitello, who coached Gilbert at Tennessee and now finds himself reunited with him at the big-league level.
Vitello joined NBC Sports Bay Area’s Giants Talk podcast and offered an inside look at what makes Gilbert so magnetic – both in the clubhouse and in the stands. And it starts with one thing: the guy plays like every inning matters.
“I think it’s easy to see how much he wants to win,” Vitello said. “If you pay for a ticket to go to the game, you want to see a win… so you want that equal kind of give from the players. And with Drew, because he wears his emotions on his sleeve so much, you’ll never doubt it.”
That emotional transparency – the fire, the reactions, the way Gilbert carries himself on the field – isn’t just for show. It’s the real deal, and it resonates.
Fans see it. Teammates feel it.
And Vitello believes that’s where Gilbert’s true impact lies.
“There’s other players too that there’s as much give, but you just don’t see it as much,” Vitello added. “For him, you have that visual – the way he plays, the emotion he plays with – and it can really affect the locker room.
I think that’s his strength. It’ll never leave.”
That kind of presence is rare. It’s not just about hustle or highlight plays – it’s about a mindset that elevates everyone around him.
Gilbert isn’t just playing the game; he’s igniting it. And for a Giants team looking to build something sustainable, that kind of energy is foundational.
Now that Vitello and Gilbert are back on the same team – this time under the bright lights of the majors – the focus has shifted to long-term growth. The talent is there.
The fire is constant. But the next step is building out the rest of his game to withstand the grind of a full MLB season.
Vitello emphasized that Gilbert is locked in on that process. He’s not just riding momentum – he’s working to make sure his game evolves and holds up over time. That’s the difference between a flash in the pan and a cornerstone player.
Back in Knoxville, Gilbert’s rise didn’t go unnoticed either. Even as players moved on from Tennessee, his journey became a rallying point for the program.
“The coolest thing is when guys come back to work out or train with us, or see a game,” Vitello said. “But second place to that is us being able to follow them and see them. We don’t get to look at box scores every day … but when it’s news that’s as loud or as exciting as it was with Drew, it kind of captivated the whole underbelly of our stadium for a while.”
That’s the kind of ripple effect Gilbert creates – from college dugouts to major league clubhouses. And now, Vitello doesn’t have to follow from afar. He’s right there for the next chapter, watching a player he knows better than most try to carve out his place in the big leagues.
If Gilbert keeps playing with the same edge and emotion he’s always had, it’s not just Giants fans who’ll be paying attention – the entire league might want to take note.
