Former Florida star Brandon Sproat set to make MLB debut with New York Mets

Former Florida pitcher Brandon Sproat is set to make his big league debut. The New York Mets have called him up from the minors to make a start on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Sproat has spent the last two years in the minor leagues but has thoroughly impressed at Triple-A Syracuse of late. With Syracuse, Sproat has gone 8-6 with a 4.24 ERA.

The former Gators star has worked through 121.0 innings and recorded 113 strikeouts. Opponents have hit just .218 off him.

Coming off arguably his best outing in the minors, Brandon Sproat allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out nine batters in seven shutout innings. That earned him the praise of Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

“It was good to see him throw the ball the way he did,” Mendoza said. “It’s one of those where it’s like ‘alright here I am too,’ and we’re watching.”

The Mets were watching indeed, and now the former Florida star will get his chance in the big leagues. It’s been a fast ascension through the minors, but probably not one that’s surprising for Gators fans.

Brandon Sproat pitched for Florida from 2000-2023, finishing as the national runner-up as a redshirt junior. He posted a career 4.27 ERA, working a 19-8 record across 223.2 innings pitched.

During that span, Sproat struck out 242 batters while allowing 99 walks. Opponents hit just .222 off him.

Jac Caglianone rejoins Kansas City

Another former Florida star to make the jump to the majors in recent days is slugger Jac Caglianone. Caglianone got the call-up from the Kansas City Royals earlier this season, but things haven’t gone according to plan. Brandon Sproat will be hoping his arrival in the bigs is a little steadier.

In any case, Caglianone was recently called back up by the Royals. He hadn’t played since July 26, dealing with some injury concerns.

At the time of his exit from the majors, Caglianone was hitting just .147 on the season. He has made one start since returning.

In that return appearance, Caglianone drew a walk and scored a run, though he finished 0-of-2 at the plate. At Triple-A Omaha during his rehab stint in August, Caglianone finished batting .357 with five home runs in 65 at-bats.