The New York Mets called up former Florida pitcher Brandon Sproat Thursday. His first start will come against the Cincinnati Reds Sunday.

Sproat was with the Gators from 2020 to 2023, helping guide them to the College World Series in his final season.

As a Gator, Sproat made 56 appearances, including 37 starts, recording a 19-8 record and a 4.27 ERA. He accumulated 242 strikeouts over his 223 and 2/3 innings pitched. The New York Mets drafted Sproat in the third round of the 2022 draft. He declined the offer and came back to Florida for one more season. There, he shined, racking up eight of his 19 wins and 134 of his 242 strikeouts. He was named first-team Southeast all-regional team and second-team All-SEC. In turn, in the 2023 MLB draft, the Mets took him in the second round at pick No. 56. 

Sproat made his first appearance in 2024 for the Mets high-A affiliate, Brooklyn Cyclones. In his time with the Cyclones, Sproat made six appearances and five starts. There, he recorded a 2-1 record with a 1.07 ERA and 33 strikeouts. Sproat continued to play at a high level in AA with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, notching a 4-1 record over 11 starts with a 2.45 ERA and 77 strikeouts. To end the 2024 season, the AAA Syracuse Mets called Sproat up. At the top of the Mets’ minor league system, he registered a 1-2 record with a 7.53 ERA. 

To open the 2025 season, Sproat was the Mets’ No. 1 prospect. He started his season in AAA where he pitched 25 games with a 8-6 record and a 4.24 ERA, all while racking up 113 strikeouts. After a slow first few months, he recorded a 2.44 ERA and 70 K’s over his last 11 starts, earning a spot in the big leagues. 

The Mets’ starting rotation has struggled. Sproat brings hope for a Mets team looking to make the playoffs who are holding a four-game lead for the last Wild Card spot. He has shown a great strike-to-walk ratio, which has been a struggle for the Mets’ rotation.