Right-hander Brandon Sproat (UF 2020-23) will mark Florida’s nation-best 39th MLB debut since 2008.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Former Florida Gators ace Brandon Sproat is set to make his Major League Baseball debut this weekend, as the New York Mets selected his contract from Triple-A Syracuse to start on Sunday against the Reds in Cincinnati, Ohio.
When Sproat delivers his first pitch on Sunday, he will become the 87th Gator to appear in the MLB including the 35th player of the Kevin O’Sullivan era to reach The Show. In all, a nation-leading 39 Gators have made MLB debuts since 2008.
First pitch of Sunday’s matinee matchup in Cincinnati is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. ET at Great American Ballpark.
As the second Florida player to earn a big-league promotion this season, Sproat joins former UF teammate Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> in the MLB, who debuted with the Kansas City Royals on June 3, 2025.
After getting off to a slow start to the campaign, Sproat has been on a tear with Triple-A Syracuse across the latter half of the summer. Earning International League Pitcher of the Month honors in July, Sproat fired 27 innings across five starts while allowing just two earned runs on 14 hits and eight walks for a 0.67 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. The Pace, Fla. native racked up 33 strikeouts in that span, equating to 11.0 per nine innings. Sproat lasted at least five frames in all five starts in July while completing seven innings on one occasion.
Sproat followed with a strong August, producing three quality starts in five outings while working to a 31-to-10 strikeout to walk ratio and .184 batting average against in 26 frames. In his final Triple-A start, he dominated over seven shutout, three-hit innings backed by nine strikeouts and two walks. That effort proved to be enough for the Mets, as the organization elected to promote him to the big-league club less than one week later.
On the heels of a dazzling second half, Sproat commands a 4.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 113-to-53 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 121 innings pitched at Triple-A Syracuse this season. The one-time All-SEC hurler is currently ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Mets organization.
As the 56th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Sproat pitched four seasons in Orange & Blue before beginning his professional journey. He served as the Friday night starter for the winningest team in program history in 2023 (54-17) as the Gators reached the College World Series Finals and claimed an SEC Championship. Sproat wrapped up his UF career with a 19-8 record across 56 appearances (37 starts), 4.27 ERA, .242 batting average against and 242 strikeouts in 223 2/3 innings.
Below is a complete list of Gators to debut in the MLB under O’Sullivan.
MLB Players Under O’Sullivan
Player Drafted (Round) MLB Debut Team
1 Nick Maronde 2011 (3rd) September 2, 2012 Los Angeles Angels
2 Paco Rodriguez 2012 (2nd) September 9, 2012 Los Angeles Dodgers
3 Mike Zunino 2012 (1st – 3rd overall) June 12, 2013 Seattle Mariners
4 Kevin Chapman 2010 (4th) August 9, 2013 Houston Astros
5 Matt den Dekker 2010 (5th) August 29, 2013 New York Mets
6 Anthony DeSclafani 2011 (6th) May 14, 2014 Miami Marlins
7 Cole Figueroa 2008 (6th) May 16, 2014 Tampa Bay Rays
8 Preston Tucker 2012 (7th) May 7, 2015 Houston Astros
9 Brian Johnson 2012 (1st – 31st overall) July 21, 2015 Boston Red Sox
10 Nolan Fontana 2012 (2nd) May 22, 2017 Los Angeles Angels
11 Austin Maddox 2012 (3rd) June 17, 2017 Boston Red Sox
12 Harrison Bader 2015 (3rd) July 25, 2017 St. Louis Cardinals
13 Bobby Poyner 2015 (14th) March 31, 2018 Boston Red Sox
14 Justin Shafer 2014 (8th) August 19, 2018 Toronto Blue Jays
15 Eric Hanhold 2015 (6th) September 4, 2018 New York Mets
16 Richie Martin 2015 (1st – 20th overall) March 28, 2019 Baltimore Orioles
17 Pete Alonso 2016 (2nd) March 28, 2019 New York Mets
18 Shaun Anderson 2016 (3rd) May 15, 2019 San Francisco Giants
19 A.J. Puk 2016 (1st – 6th overall) August 21, 2019 Oakland Athletics
20 Brady Singer 2018 (1st – 18th overall) July 25, 2020 Kansas City Royals
21 Dane Dunning 2016 (1st – 29th overall) August 19, 2020 Chicago White Sox
22 Jonathan India 2018 (1st – 5th overall) Thursday, April 1, 2021 Cincinnati Reds
23 Jackson Kowar 2018 (1st – 33rd overall) Monday, June 7, 2021 Kansas City Royals
24 Taylor Gushue 2014 (4th) Wednesday, June 30, 2021 Chicago Cubs
25 Kirby Snead 2016 (10th) Wednesday, July 28, 2021 Toronto Blue Jays
26 Mark Kolozsvary 2017 (7th) Wednesday, April 20, 2022 Cincinnati Reds
27 Alex Faedo 2017 (1st – 18th overall) Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Detroit Tigers
28 Danny Young 2015 (8th) Monday, May 9, 2022 Seattle Mariners
29 Dalton Guthrie 2017 (6th) Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 Philadelphia Phillies
30 Jacob Young 2021 (7th) Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 Washington Nationals
31 Wyatt Langford 2023 (1st – 4th overall) Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024 Texas Rangers
32 Christian Scott 2021 (5th) Saturday, May. 4, 2024 New York Mets
33 Hurston Waldrep 2023 (1st – 24th overall) Sunday, June 9, 2024 Atlanta Braves
34 Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> 2024 (1st – 6th overall) Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Kansas City Royals
35 Brandon Sproat 2023 (2nd) Sunday, September 7, 2025 New York Mets
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