Brandon Sproat still waiting for his Mets call-up…
Jonah Tong’s cellphone ringing meant Brandon Sproat’s didn’t.
The Mets are calling up Tong, a phenom rocketing through their system who made just two begins with Triple-A Syracuse, while leaving Sproat (at least for now) in Syracuse, with whom he has pitched in 25 video games.
The determination was partly a outcome of Tong authoring arguably the best season in all of minor league baseball and partly a outcome of simple scheduling.
The Mets wished to insert a sixth starter Friday against the Marlins, which might push David Peterson — whose ERA is 6.31 on 4 days of relaxation and 2.25 when given the additional day — back to Saturday and Kodai Senga (who flunked his lone four-days’-rest take a look at Monday) back to Sunday.
Tong most not too long ago pitched Saturday and is set up to pitch on his standard relaxation Friday.
Sproat has pitched twice consecutively on 4 days of relaxation as the Mets take a look at the righty in other situations, and his pitching Friday would make it 3 times in a row, which the membership didn’t need him to do.
So Sproat — who started this season as the top Mets pitching prospect but has been bypassed by Nolan McLean and Tong for a debut — stays in Syracuse, where a tough first half price him but a strong second half has positioned him back on the radar.
Through his first 15 begins, Sproat owned a 5.95 ERA with slipping velocity and a changeup he couldn’t discover.
The issues seem to have been solved by a new mindset — Sproat saying he determined to start throwing each pitch with most effort — and the hard-throwing righty has put together a 2.77 ERA with 61 strikeouts in his past 52 innings.
Brandon Sproat throws a pitch during the Mets’ spring training sport against the Nationals on Feb. 28, 2025. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
“Brandon’s done a tremendous job, I think,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said Tuesday before the Mets beat the Phillies. “He’s probably had as good a second half a season as any pitcher in minor league baseball. He’s made some real adjustments. He’s pitched great.”
He pitched poorly as a bulk starter Monday, used behind an opener for the first time all season.
Carlos Mendoza said the Mets weren’t contemplating Sproat out of the bullpen but making an attempt to give Sproat the expertise of pitching behind an opener — an expertise many of their minor league starters have obtained this season.
“I think this has got nothing to do with Sproat,” the supervisor said of the choice to carry up Tong. “I think it’s just more how dominant Jonah has been.”
Sean Manaea took a step in the precise direction — but a small one.
The lefty struck out eight and was charged with two runs, but lasted just 4 ²/₃ innings because of a pitch rely (90) that saved climbing and at-bats that didn’t end rapidly enough.
A dejected Sean Manaea walks to the dugout after getting taken out in the fifth inning of the Mets’ 6-5 win over the Phillies on Aug. 26, 2025. Robert Sabo / New York Post
Manaea has made 9 begins after spending the first half of the season on the injured listing and hasn’t lasted more than 5 ²/₃ innings in any of them.
“I feel like I’ve been in good counts, just not putting guys away,” Manaea said after he was strong for 4 frames before operating into hassle in the fifth, when Gregory Soto entered and allowed two inherited runners to rating. “I don’t know if it’s a mixing issue, fastball just not getting to the top of the zone, a lot of foul balls.
“I don’t really know what the fix is.”
Stearns on trade-deadline addition Ryan Helsley, who pitched a scoreless inning Monday but had allowed 12 runs (eight earned) in his first 7 ¹/₃ innings with his new membership:
“There’s an adjustment period coming to a new staff or asking him to take on a new position. That’s actually been properly documented. When you don’t have outcomes immediately, it’s natural to press a little bit.
“What we’re trying to do is help him exhale a little bit, take a deep breath. The stuff is still there. He’s been good in this league for a long time.”
Helsley gave up a game-tying two-run home run to Harrison Bader in the eighth inning Tuesday before the Mets prevailed 6-5.
Tylor Megill is predicted to make a fourth rehab start Wednesday with Syracuse.
The righty, recovering from an elbow sprain, most not too long ago threw 65 pitches over 5 innings Friday.
The Mets will open the next season at Citi Field on March 26, against the Pirates.
One schedule spotlight: A 3-game sequence in The Bronx that begins Sept. 11 to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of the assaults.
— Additional reporting by Peter Botte
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