The first Florida Gator to come off the board on Day 2 of the 2022 MLB Draft was right-handed pitcher [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] at No. 90 overall in the third round to the New York Mets.
Sproat took over for [autotag]Hunter Barco[/autotag] as Florida’s No. 1 after the latter went down with Tommy John surgery, and he stepped up big toward the end of the season. He gave up just one run in 8 1/3 innings against South Carolina during the SEC Tournament and lasted seven innings of one-run ball against Central Michigan in the super regionals.
He led the team with 89 2/3 innings pitched on the year and finished with a 3.41 ERA. Barco and Blake Purnell finished with a lower ERA but only threw 50 1/3 innings a piece.
Sproat’s fastball should play at the major league level. It sits in the upper 90s and has touched 99-100 mph. The problem is that he hasn’t quite found the consistency that MLB clubs are looking for. Of course, that’s something to work on in the minors, but Sproat features first-round stuff at times.
That begs the question of whether or not he’ll return. After Florida’s season came to an end Sproat posted on social media that he “didn’t know what the future held” for him. Many took that to mean a possible return if he didn’t get picked high enough, but the third round should be good enough money for him to figure out a deal. As a rising redshirt junior, Sproat has enough eligibility left to use as leverage in negotiations, though. It’s similar to what we saw from [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] last year.
3 (90): @Mets select Florida (FL) RHP Brandon Sproat https://t.co/glNcpgl1ti #MLBDraft
— MLB Draft Tracker (@MLBDraftTracker) July 18, 2022
Sproat was drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers 205th overall. The jump up to No. 90 moves the slot money from $233,400 to $691,000, which is a significant jump. It should be enough for Sproat to go pro.
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