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Brandon Sproat
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
A rare two-time pick by the same organization, Sproat chose not to sign with the Mets as a third-round pick in 2022 but granted the organization permission to take him again a year later. New York did -- this time in the second round -- and signed him for slot at $1,474,500 after striking out 134 in 106 1/3 innings at Florida in 2023. Sproat flew through the Mets system in his first season, climbing from High-A Brooklyn to Triple-A Syracuse while posting a 3.40 ERA and fanning 131 in 116 1/3 innings.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander’s fastball stands out more for its velocity than its shape. Sproat will run the four-seamer up to triple-digits on occasion and continued to sit in the 95-98 mph range even late in the season at Triple-A. But there isn’t great ride on the pitch, and batters at the Minors’ top level took advantage, hitting .380 off the fastball alone. Sproat can also work in a sinker around the same velo band, and the extra look may be beneficial if he expands its usage. His upper-80s changeup gets the right amount of separation and fade to give the former Gator a weapon against lefties, and he works with both an 83-85 mph sweeping slider and harder 86-88 mph cutter. The former is better at generating whiffs. A 79-81 mph curveball offers another occasional breaker.
Sproat was control over command in his first taste of the Minors. He kept walk rates generally in check, but Triple-A batters proved they could bang pitches he leaves too much over the plate. That said, Sproat has the velocity and pitch mix to feature as a starter and should meaningfully contribute to New York’s rotation depth in 2025. - mlbpipeline
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