Another Mets pitching prospect is fast-tracking toward majors | He’s ‘advanced’ (2024)

READING, Pa. — It didn’t take long for Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat to advance to the upper minors.

After being taken in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida and not pitching in the minor leagues last year, the 6-foot-3 right-hander dominated High-A and was promoted to Double-A Binghamton, where he’s carried his success through two starts.

“For the guys that are advanced with location and have plus stuff, they don’t typically stay in Low-A and High-A too long,” Double-A Binghamton manager Reid Brignac told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday,

Those are the attributes Sproat presented in six appearances (five starts) in High-A Brooklyn. That’s where he posted a 1.42 ERA (three earned runs in 25 1/3 innings) with 33 strikeouts (11.7 K/9).

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He showed more of that in his Tuesday start with the RumblePonies, where in seven innings he allowed three runs, striking out nine.

“He’s got a great arm, mid-90s yesterday, up to 97 (mph). Really good offspeed pitches,” Brignac said. “When he fell back in the count, he was able to get back in the count with some offspeed pitches, which is huge. We’re very excited for him.”

In two Double-A starts, he’s allowed three runs in 12 innings (2.25 ERA) with 15 strikeouts. At this rate, Brignac believes Sproat could be on the same path as Christian Scott, who was electric in 12 Double-A starts in 2023 — 2.47 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 62 innings (11.2 K/9).

“I can see Sproat, like (Blade) Tidwell, up in Triple-A,” Brignac said. “These guys, they’re understanding, ‘When I get to Double-A, I have to attack the strike zone. I have to prove that I can fill up the zone with multiple pitches and change speeds.’ When they start doing that consistently, they skyrocket through the organization.”

Sproat’s repertoire includes a fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and sweeper, which he began throwing in spring training. After practicing multiple grips, he finally landed on one he was comfortable using in-game against High-A Aberdeen (Orioles) on May 3.

“I was having a good start so I decided to bring it out,” Sproat told NJ Advance Media at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of Double-A Reading (Phillies). “It actually ended up being really good. And just bringing it out kind of for fun actually and seeing the results of it actually gave me confidence in it.”

Sproat’s been drafted twice before. The Rangers selected him in the seventh round out of high school in 2019, but he opted to go to college.

“I was honest with myself and knew that I wasn’t ready for pro ball from a maturity standpoint,” Sproat said.

He was selected again by the Mets in the third round in 2022, but he chose to stay in college. It came down to two reasons: first, he promised his father he’d earn a college degree, and, two, he wanted to achieve his dream of playing in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sproat accomplished both goals, earning a degree in food and resource cconomics. He’s the first in his family to earn a four-year degree — his father went into the military after high school and his mother has an associate’s degree.

He also got to play in the final round in the College World Series where Florida lost to LSU 2-1 in the best-of-five contest. Sproat tossed four innings in Game 1 of the series, allowing two runs and striking out seven.

“Looking back, I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Sproat said “If you were to tell me, ‘Hey, if you go back to college, you’re still gonna lose the final game,’ I’d still go back and go through it all again. You know, because that’s just how much fun I had.”

Sproat’s family finally got a chance to watch him in action for the first time as a pro in a game against High-A Rome (Braves). There, he allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts — three of which came on his new sweeper.

“Their reaction was like any parent should be, super proud of every accomplishment,” Sproat said. “But they’re even more proud of just how far I’ve come. From just watching me grow up and go through all the highs and the lows and be able to go through those and grind it day in and day out.”

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Manny Gómez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.