The right-handed pitching prospect for the New York Mets, Brandon Sproat, has advanced quickly through the farm system in his first season as a professional. Before having any serious discussions about moving Sproat up to the majors, club management have issued a warning, saying that they would want to see him continue to check boxes in Triple A. Considering that he has only made one start for Triple-A Syracuse, the outcome was not good (six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings).
Sproat might, however, rapidly adapt and begin to shine at the top level of the minors if the recent history is any guide. Sproat, who will turn 24 in September, started the season at High A, where he struck out 33 batters and gave up 16 walks while recording a 1.07 ERA. Following his promotion to Double A, Sproat—whom the Mets selected in the second round of the 2023 draft—posted a 2.45 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 15 walks. He went on to Triple A last week.
The pitching coaches for the Mets from all three levels—A.J. Sager of Double-A Binghamton, Dan McKinney of High-A Brooklyn, and Grayson Crawford of Triple-A Syracuse—shared their thoughts on Sproat’s rapid ascension through the ranks and what lies ahead.
What stands out the most about Sproat?
McKinney: There is a lot of hand speed there, along with an arm skill that allows him to achieve 101 (mph). That is that, but it is also the capacity to manipulate the ball in several ways. He has demonstrated the ability to ride the fastball, however it will fluctuate somewhat. The short slider is his. He is got the sweeper now. One excellent weapon in his repertoire is his curveball. His changeup is perhaps his finest stuff-pitch as well. Seeing someone who can make the ball do so many various things at a high level is kind of rare. After that, you add premium velo to it. A starter’s bundle is seen.
Brandon Sproat records his first Triple-A strikeout for the @SyracuseMets!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 9, 2024
The @Mets' top-ranked pitching prospect racked up 110 punchouts in 87 2/3 IP across two levels prior to his promotion last week. pic.twitter.com/alxP01xrGH
Sager: The evidence speaks for itself, so it probably will not be the most thrilling response. I was therefore most pleased by the maturity and handling skills, especially meeting expectations. Although there were a few unclean innings from him here and there, you never saw him blink. You sort of want to watch guys struggle a little bit to watch how they handle it, since that is likely to be the case in the major leagues. I was unable to discern the difference. Anybody’s accomplishment is noteworthy, but a first-year guy’s especially so.
Crawford: He has a great sense of self-assurance. Maybe more than any person I have taught, but maybe more than any player who has come up from lower levels this year, he knows who he is and what makes him unique.
When did he first make you say, “Wow?”
McKinney: In one of his early spring training appearances, his fastball registered between 99 and 100 mph. He pulled out the brand-new broom. Furthermore, I was already aware of the positive improvement. “Well, this dude’s arm is obviously different than most others at this facility right now,” was the thought that day. That was the first opportunity I had to observe the high-end items up close.
Rome was the location of his final start for us. I was thinking, “Oh, s—, this dude is doing it for real” at that precise moment. Brandon’s speed was 100 mph. The sweeper was the best by far. He was playing the changeup. He was chopping men all over the place. That was the initial instance in which I expressed my opinion that this guy was truly demonstrating his potential.
Sager: We would discuss hitters and our strategy for taking on the opposing team’s hitters. Typically, I begin by asking an open-ended inquiry like, “Well, did you see anything? Have you noticed anything? And he starts talking about the lineup when I ask him the question for the first time. I am also glancing at my notes, which I work on for a long time and have a ton of resources to study. And as I glance over my notes, I realize that is essentially all I have. That is not always the case, though. That is definitely not always the case when it comes to the person who is just starting out. He practices what he knows how to do. He has faith in his abilities. You fail to notice that “OK, he’s not just a stuff-guy; he’s also got the cerebral part of this down.”
Crawford: The fastball velocity was common knowledge. His ability to pitch a changeup well makes all the difference. Observing the transition from a distance and having a brief conversation with him about it when he arrived, I believe that has served as a type of barrier. Sure, the fastball velocity will be discussed a lot when examining some of the players in baseball in general who have made rapid plays, such as Paul Skenes, but there is usually a second or third pitch that is helpful. And I believe that is unquestionably the shift for Sproat.
Where did he most improve?
McKinney: He is equipped. The question was never about the stuff. All that would need to happen was the execution’s constancy. He threw two and a half innings in his debut game with us, and it was not a terrific outing at all (five walks). Thus, putting all of your trust in him to play in the zone was the main objective. Although it was not always attractive, during his stay in Brooklyn, it improved. He usually went for walks in spurts. His performance would be excellent if he pitched five innings, pitching four of those innings. After that, he would walk two or three in an inning. From a mental gaming perspective, that was the main emphasis: being able to comprehend what is going on in real time and process information quickly
Additionally, he included the sweeper, which was a novel idea for him. He developed a better feel for that pitch, began to see greater success with it at the High-A level, and advanced it to Double A.
His walk rate went from half of what it was in High A to Double A. In my opinion, that means that while the overall elements are essentially the same (his velo has likely increased slightly), the execution is reliable. His zone % has really increased. He is acting with considerably more confidence and efficiency.
Brandon Sproat cannot be stopped … or hit!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 3, 2024
The @Mets' No. 5 prospect strikes out ELEVEN batters in a row — something that's never been done in MLB history — for @RumblePoniesBB. pic.twitter.com/ZqO61LtqJr
Sager: He got along well with us almost right away when he arrived. The largest increase he made, in my opinion, was his walk rate. He did not start improving it after he came here; for whatever reason, he just started doing so. He sliced it, I think, almost in half. He simply had a great eye for placing the ball in the strike zone. It was spring when I saw him. You were aware of its presence. It is impossible to predict how first-year players will respond to the many changes in the professional game.
When guys come here to show me why they are here, I just like to try to give them room and not try to modify anything. All I do is attempt to keep an eye on them to see what they need. However, I do tend to stress out (throw strikes) a lot here. Just take a look at the statistics over the years; it is very clear that counts have a significant impact on every offensive number you choose, including walks, three-ball counts, and throwing behind in counts. In order to give them a chance in the strike zone, I do hit them with that a lot, even when they first arrive. In this manner, if things do not work out, we can attempt to assist him as a group.
What are the next steps for Sproat’s development?
McKinney: It is a difficult atmosphere to run in Triple A. Thus, that is something you have to handle. “Hey, I am not bothered about the man in the box; I have to be able to zone my stuff,” was the attitude in High A. When he reached Double A, his consistency greatly improved. There, he advanced significantly in his comprehension of the batter’s box, his ability to interpret swings, and his timing of using his tools. That is where the wheels came on. And Sager performed that extremely well. For me, it will thus be a continuation of that and realizing that you are only one step away from taking on the world’s greatest hitters. At this point, he can
Sager: All he really needs to do, in my opinion, is maintain practicing the secondary skills—holding runners, fielding at his position, reading swings, watching games, and studying hitters. He excels in every one of those areas. Therefore, in my opinion, the most important thing is to just give him experience and to help him and others understand that there will likely be setbacks along the way because the other guys are improving much faster than he is. However, I return to the material and the emotional development. He has all he needs to deal with life’s hiccups. He is just going to keep moving forward, in my opinion.
Crawford: Simply keep an eye on shape consistency. It is something that is probably not spoken much, but anytime you get younger pitchers or pitchers who are new to pro ball, you are switching baseballs, going from minor-league to major-league to Triple A. It is merely waiting to see what major league baseball does. I believe we should give him a few opportunities to prove himself. It has varying effects on various guys. Some men see almost no difference. Some guys notice significant form changes.
Then there is the element of game preparation and the reality of playing against more experienced hitters, which means you might not always be able to just dominate opponents. He is the most aware of himself of anyone. Identifying batters’ vulnerabilities or areas of interest to attack is the second crucial step. At this point, a lot of that actually starts to occur.
(Photo of Brandon Sproat: Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images)
