BREAKING: Brandon Sproat returning to Gators for junior season
The Florida Gators received game-changing news on Monday. Brandon Sproat is coming back to Gainesville. The deadline to sign a contract was Monday, August 1.
Sproat was selected 90th overall by the New York Mets in the 2022 MLB Draft. The signing bonus slot for that pick is $691,000. Ultimately, he chose to come back to school in hopes of turning himself into a first-round pick in 2023. This was the second time Sproat has declined to sign after being drafted. He was the Texas Rangers’ 7th-round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Sproat returning to Gainesville is a huge development for the team in 2023. Florida’s weekend rotation will be formidable with Sproat, transfer Hurston Waldrep, Pierce Coppola, Brandon Neely, and Jac Caglianone all vying for innings.
The draft played out in Kevin O’Sullivan’s favor. Florida will only lose one member of its signing class. They will also return infielders Colby Halter, Josh Rivera, and outfielder Wyatt Langford, to name a few.
Sproat became the Gators’ ace
The season did not start the way Sproat would have liked. He was not one of the weekend starters and picked up a loss against Liberty in his first outing. Sproat threw in a pair of midweek games but was inconsistent through the first half of the season. However, when the Gators needed him most he eclipsed all expectations.
Friday night starter Hunter Barco was lost to the season with a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery. That made Sproat the Gators’ new ace and he rose to the occasion. He went 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA and .218 batting average against in his last six starts of the season, including two postseason starts. His final outing was the best of his career. Sproat threw 114 pitches over eight innings. Sproat’s line against Central Michigan was: 7.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6K, 114 pitches (80 strikes) in a 7-3 win.
