Brandon Sproat draft history: Why Florida pitcher passed on Mets contract to return for 2023 MLB Draft

It's not easy to turn down a chance at playing professional baseball.

Brandon Sproat has done it twice. And the Florida hurler's gamble appears to be on the verge of paying off.

Sproat wrapped up his final season in college baseball, pitching to a 4.66 ERA across 19 starts (106.1 innings) with 134 strikeouts and 48 walks, while allowing just 87 hits.

Sproat said no to the pros after being selected both in high school and after his junior year, opting on the latter occasion to return to Florida for his senior year. He'll be selected again in this year's draft after completing his Gators career and, this time, there's no doubt he's headed to the professional ranks.

MLB DRAFT: Top 100 big board | Mock draft

It's not uncommon for players to be drafted multiple times. They can be drafted out of high school, after one year with a junior college or after completing either their junior season in a four-year college or reaching 21 years old as a college sophomore.

High schoolers in particular can prove difficult to sign if they believe they can drastically improve their draft stock — and their signing bonus — by going to college. (Or they could just feel invested in pursuing an education and a CWS title). But typically, a player in a four-year college who hits the draft as a junior heads to the pros.

So why did Sproat decide to reject MLB organizations not once, but twice? Here's what you need to know.

Brandon Sproat draft history

Rangers (2019 MLB Draft)

Sproat was highly evaluated coming out of Pace High School (Fla) in 2019. Baseball America ranked him as the No. 233 prospect in the 2019 class, praising his mid-90s fastball, hard slider and effective curveball.

The Rangers decided to take a chance on him with the 205th overall pick in the seventh round. The slot value of the pick, according to Baseball America, was $222,100.

There were certainly some reasons for Sproat to honor his commitment to Florida over his potential MLB contract: Several other recent high school pitchers who wound up heading to Gainesville over the pros saw their draft stock soar with the Gators. Alex Faedo, for example, was drafted by the Tigers in the 40th round out of high school, only to go to Detroit in the first round in 2017.

Brady Singer agreed to be drafted out of high school after being a second-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2015 (the deal fell apart due to medicals). Jackson Kowar turned down the Tigers in the 40th round in 2015. They both were first-round picks by the Royals in 2018.

MORE: Everything to know about the MLB draft, from total rounds to slot values and more

Of course, all of those arms were taken in the 40th round, as opposed to the seventh. But all three saw their draft stock soar after joining one of the top baseball programs in the nation.

Sproat turned the Rangers down, becoming the highest draft pick in the 2019 class not to sign with the organization that drafted him. He instead stayed in-state and became a Gator.

Mets (2022 MLB Draft)

When he arrived in Gainesville, Sproat didn't see much playing time: He appeared in only four games as a reliever in the COVID-19-shortened season, tallying six innings and just one run allowed on two hits and three walks with eight strikeouts.

He saw more extensive action as a sophomore, with two starts and 16 total appearances, but struggled mightily with his control. He had a 6.65 ERA with 15 walks in just 21 2/3 innings of work.

But Sproat turned it on as a junior, posting an impressive 3.41 ERA across 17 games (16 starts) with 82 punchouts in 89 2/3 innings. His fastball, which had been in the low-90s when he reached college, then occasionally hit triple digits and sat in the mid-upper 90s. His slider grew as a pitch, and he added a changeup to his repertoire.

Sproat, ranked 75th by Baseball America in the 2022 MLB Draft class, was viewed as significantly better than the seventh round pick he garnered out of high school. There was some dispute as to where, exactly, he might wind up landing.

MORE: MLB draft order 2023

The Mets drafted Sproat in the third round for the Mets, picking him 90th overall in the class. The slot value for the pick jumped significantly from his previous selection, now reaching $691,300. According to USA Today, the Mets could spend up to $900,000 on Sproat without losing a first-round pick in the 2023 class.

With his high-octane stuff, Sproat evidently decided he could do better. Though there was plenty of risk in returning to college — where an injury or regression could tank his value — Sproat didn't come to terms with the Mets, instead returning to Florida for another season.

Brandon Sproat stats

Brandon Sproat scouting report

It remains to be seen whether Sproat's decision to return to college will pay off in the draft. But evaluators have certainly noticed improvement in his game, with Baseball America now ranking him as the No. 48 overall player. If he landed at exactly that spot in the draft, he would be an early second-round selection by the Diamondbacks, with a slot value of $1.78 million: more than the slot values for his previous two drafts combined.

Per Baseball America, his slider has taken a slight step back, while his changeup and control have each improved slightly. His velocity continued to tick upwards, as he reportedly averaged 96 mph during the season and hit triple-digits in starts.

At his best, Sproat looks nearly unhittable. Against Virginia, he was often painting triple-digit fastballs that looked nearly impossible to hit. But even in that outing, he still walked three with two hit batsmen and five hits, leading to three runs allowed in the winning effort.

Brandon Sproat, 101mph on the Black (home plate view).

Don't blink. 😳 pic.twitter.com/3JAhNJ9o9s

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 17, 2023

If a team opts to take Sproat early, the hope will be to harness that high-octane velocity and refine his secondary offerings. He has a four-pitch mix, even if the other pitches are inconsistent, and has the velocity to make himself a tempting project for a team.