Mets’ Brandon Sproat Debuts in Cincinnati—Had Everything But the Result
The Mets fell 3-2 on Sunday at Great American Ball Park, their red-hot offense cooled by Hunter Greene’s overpowering fastball despite some late-inning life from Juan Soto in the ninth. Sunday’s rubber match also doubled as Brandon Sproat’s major-league debut for New York.
Welcome to The Show, Brandon! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sRLdCkWGqj
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 7, 2025
The 24-year-old earned his call after a full season in Triple-A Syracuse, where he logged 121.0 innings with a 4.24 ERA and 113 strikeouts. The Mets have been deliberate with their promotions this year, and the expectation with Sproat—like the other arms (Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong) brought up in recent weeks —is that he’s not here for a cameo. He’s here to stay.
Tong. Sproat. McLean.
The @Mets will get a glimpse into the future with their top three pitching prospects lined up to start the next three games. pic.twitter.com/kyGvY9o8h5
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 6, 2025
Brandon Sproat fans Elly De La Cruz for his first major-league strikeout! pic.twitter.com/d7UzBMPu2L
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 7, 2025
For five innings, the rookie right-hander looked untouchable, literally. Sproat carried a no-hitter into the sixth, leaning on his backdoor curveball, which logged in every one of his seven strikeouts. Paired with his sweeper, it gave the Reds little to no breathing room. His final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4BB, 7 Ks.
All seven strikeouts from Brandon Sproat’s MLB debut 💪 pic.twitter.com/CHBT3k473i
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 7, 2025
The runs that did come weren’t exactly rockets—a sac fly, a broken-bat flare, and a pair of mistake pitches. It was more growing pains than unraveling, but Sproat looked poised and in control. Hunter Greene, meanwhile, was every bit the foil. Firing 100+ mph fastballs with ease, Greene struck out 12 Mets across seven innings.
Have a Day, Baty
The only swing that dented him came from Brett Baty, who continues to emerge on both sides of the ball. At third, Baty vacuumed up chances cleanly, and in the third inning, he punished a first-pitch slider for his 16th home run of the year—the Mets’ first and only hit until the ninth.
Turn and burn, Brett 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zHhPEwJ8Re
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 7, 2025
Roll it! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/9OGEGZg4Lc
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 7, 2025
Soto’s (Still) Sizzling
The Reds padded a 3-1 lead late, but the Mets had life in the ninth. Eyeing his first 40/30 season, Juan Soto uncorked his 38th home run—a 114.3 mph missile to right-center—to slice the deficit to one.
An absolute ROCKET from @JuanSoto25_ 🚀 pic.twitter.com/VmEW3JYIvG
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 7, 2025
Pete Alonso reached on an error, Brandon Nimmo singled, and suddenly the tying run was on. The table was set. But Starling Marte’s broken-bat roller turned into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play, sealing a 3-2 loss and a dropped series.
Reed Returns
But positives linger beneath the frustration. Reed Garrett looked sharp in his return from the IL, tossing a clean seventh, and Sproat more than announced his presence. Cincinnati closed it out behind Tyler Rogers, but the takeaway is simple—the Mets didn’t lose the future today.
The Mets have activated Reed Garrett from the 15-day IL pic.twitter.com/GmQOMGaTRg
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 7, 2025
Still, the bigger picture was clear—the Mets left town with another young arm that can be relied upon (for more than four innings) and a lineup that, even when quiet, still finds a way to threaten late.
Sights on October Baseball
The Mets head to Philadelphia for a four-game set, where Nolan McLean takes the ball in Monday’s opener. New York sits 7.0 games back of the Phillies in the NL East, but holds a 4.0-game cushion in the Wild Card over the Reds and Giants, and 4.5 over the Cardinals and Diamondbacks.
— Gab (@gabrielleraucci) May 7, 2025
Even in defeat, the Mets showed the kind of depth and resilience that matters down the stretch—a rotation fortified by young arms like Sproat, Tong, and McLean, an offense anchored by Lindor, Soto, and Alonso, and a club that, piece by piece, is positioning itself to make a real run at October.
