Gators Notebook: Sproat’s Rise, Wyatt’s World, More Tidbits

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Brandon Sproat did what he needed to elevate his draft stock in the second half of last season. A powerful 6-foot-3 right-hander, Sproat went 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his final six starts, helping the Gators get hot down the stretch and host a NCAA Regional.

After the season, the New York Mets made Sproat their third-round pick, the 90th overall player selected in the MLB amateur draft. But instead of signing and shipping off for some work at a far-flung minor-league post, Sproat opted to return for his fourth-year junior season.

 

Chalk up a win for the Gators, who open the season a week from today with Sproat expected to take the mound. Sproat finished 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA and a team-high 89 1/3 innings in 2022.

“Oftentimes, your best recruits are guys you get back,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said this week. “We spent a lot of time on the phone this summer going through that process with him. Getting back Brandon totally changes the look of our rotation.”

Sproat’s return instantly boosted the Gators’ prospects heading in 2023, O’Sullivan’s 16th season in the UF dugout. Florida is ranked third in the Baseball America Preseason Poll, and seventh by D1Baseball.com.

Sproat’s return and the addition of Southern Mississippi right-hander Hurston Waldrep provides the Gators with a pair of veteran right-handers that should help them win a lot of series. The emergence of Sproat following the loss of injured lefty Hunter Barco a season ago proved critical.

Sproat flashed supreme arm talent from the start, but it took a while for the Pace, Fla., native to harness it on the mound. And equally important, solve some issues between the ears.

“I mean, where he was last year [at this time], he wasn’t even in the weekend rotation, and now to see how he is performing, how he is handling failure, it’s like night and day,” O’Sullivan said.

 

WYATT’S WORLD

He went from bullpen catcher as a freshman to one of the most feared hitters in the country as a sophomore. What will Wyatt Langford do as a junior?

Florida’s starting left fielder is ranked the No. 3 draft prospect in the country by MLB.com‘s Pipeline. The reason is easy for anyone to find: .355 batting average, 26 home runs and 63 RBI in 2022.

“It’s one of those stories you can tell for the rest of your career,” O’Sullivan said. “Guy has four or five at-bats his freshman year, all of the sudden he hits 26 homers, plays for the USA Team.”