Sproat brings 99 mph heat in Mets' Spring Breakout win

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- By the time Brandon Sproat took the mound in the sixth inning of the Mets¡¯ Spring Breakout game Friday against the Nationals, his club had already grabbed a lead courtesy of Jeremy Rodriguez, one of nearly a dozen prospects the Mets acquired before last year¡¯s Trade Deadline. Sproat, too, was a 2023 acquisition of the Mets, who drafted him in the second round.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Sproat retired the side in a matter of minutes, hitting 99 mph on the radar gun while striking out a pair.

¡°Short and sweet,¡± he quipped afterward.

For Sproat, whose effort helped the Mets lock down a 4-2 win in their inaugural Spring Breakout game, this was a coming-out party of sorts.

• Box score

The right-hander, who is ranked No. 13 among Mets prospects by MLB Pipeline, had not pitched in a formal game since New York selected him in the second round of last year¡¯s Draft. (The Mets had previously selected Sproat in the third round after his junior season at Florida, but he did not sign at that time.)

Now, Sproat -- who has routinely reached upper 90s velocities on the backfields at Port St. Lucie, topping out at 101 mph -- has a launching pad from which to begin his first Minor League season.

¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, there were nerves,¡± Sproat said of his Breakout experience. ¡°Being able to pitch in this Spring Training stadium for the first time, it was good just to take it all in. It¡¯s everything that I¡¯ve worked for.¡±

Although Sproat had a late start to his Minor League career, he has a chance to advance quickly through the system during his age-23 season. He, Calvin Ziegler and Blade Tidwell are primed to become the organization¡¯s next wave of high-profile pitching prospects behind headliners Mike Vasil, Christian Scott and Dominic Hamel, who were all in 2024 big league camp.

Sproat also won¡¯t be alone on those future Mets teams, if some snapshots from Friday¡¯s Spring Breakout were any indication:

Clifford shows oppo power
When the Mets acquired No. 4 prospect Ryan Clifford in last year¡¯s Justin Verlander deal with Houston, they knew his slugging ability would be his carrying tool. The left-handed hitter exhibited that in the first inning Friday when he drove a 95.2 mph fastball from Nats starter Jackson Rutledge the other way to left for an RBI double. The exit velocity was 102.2 mph.

Clifford, who added a walk and a run in the fourth, started at first base for the Mets¡¯ prospects but is expected to see time in the outfield in 2024 as well. He¡¯ll need that power if first base is going to be his long-term position, and after a 24-homer season in the Minors, there should be more all-fields pop where Friday¡¯s double came from.

¡°You¡¯ve got to have a lot of confidence in yourself when you go hit,¡± Clifford said. ¡°So for me, I¡¯m feeling a lot better at the plate and looking to carry that going forward.¡±

McLean shows out on mound
New York drafted Oklahoma State product and No. 19 prospect Nolan McLean in the third round last year as a potential two-way player, though most scouts prefer his work on the bump. He showed why with a perfect fifth inning Friday. The right-hander especially stood out for his breaking stuff, averaging 3,229 rpm on three mid-80s sliders and 2,952 rpm on a trio of upper-80s cutters. He also touched 97.6 mph with his fastball and generated a whiff on each of his three offerings.

The high spin rates and impressive velocity seem likely to keep McLean on the mound moving forward, and unless he improves his own swing-and-miss issues at the plate, he may be best-served sticking to pitching once he reaches the upper levels. Still, McLean places significant value on the Mets¡¯ willingness to let him continue as a two-way player.

¡°I¡¯ve always loved playing every day and getting to stay in a lineup,¡± McLean said. ¡°I¡¯d like to do it as long as I can, and I think I¡¯m with a really good organization to help me do that.¡±

Rodriguez makes positive stateside impression
Picked up from the D-backs in last year¡¯s Tommy Pham deal at the Trade Deadline, No. 12 prospect Rodriguez is in the midst of his first stateside spring, having never previously played above the Dominican Summer League. He¡¯s drawn strong early reviews for his bat-to-ball skills and shortstop defense, and based on those evaluations, the Mets gave the 17-year-old a Breakout spot.

Rodriguez made the most of that in the fifth inning, driving a 94 mph changeup from Nats fireballer Jarlin Susana, who touched 103 earlier in the frame, over the shortstop¡¯s head for an RBI single that gave New York a 3-2 lead -- its first advantage of the afternoon. The left-handed hitter slashed .293/.411/.467 with more walks (33) than strikeouts (31) over 51 games in the DSL last season and could receive even more aggressive assignments before long, as he becomes acclimated to this side of the Caribbean.

¡°It was a great experience for me,¡± Rodriguez said through an interpreter. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I was playing with that level of prospects. I tried to put a good swing on it and got lucky and had good contact.¡±