Moving to the Bullpen Won't Fix Brandon Sproat

[Jack Stern]

Image courtesy of Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Brandon Sproat’s audition for a postseason bullpen role did not go well. In fact, it went so poorly that it might be a one-and-done opportunity. In Sproat's return to the big leagues after last month’s demotion to Triple-A, Pat Murphy tasked the former starter with recording the final six outs against the Cubs with a seven-run lead on Wednesday night. He only recorded four of those outs, issuing four walks and hitting a batter. Before long, Abner Uribe was facing pinch-hitter BJ Murray as the tying run, with the dangerous Pete Crow-Armstrong on deck.

Uribe struck out Murray to extinguish the fire and close out a three-game sweep. Despite a trio of statement wins against the Brewers’ top division rival, however, Murphy’s postgame presser carried a mixed tone. His offense had backed off the gas pedal after scoring six early runs against Kevin Gausman, and Sproat’s poor performance nearly made it costly.

“It’s unacceptable,” Murphy said. “You’ve got to throw the ball over the plate to be a major-league pitcher.”

That was already a recurring issue for Sproat, who walked 11.6% of batters faced before his demotion. It was even worse in Nashville, where he posted a 12.8% walk rate and threw just 42% of his pitches in the strike zone. Because of his electric stuff, Sproat struck out 34.6% of opponents and pitched to a 3.18 xERA against less disciplined hitters, but there was no improvement from a process standpoint.

It wasn’t for a lack of effort. The development staff in Nashville tried simplifying things for Sproat to get him back into the zone, leaning more on his straight four-seamer and relying less on the new cutter that had the worst run value of any pitch in his arsenal this year. In a two-inning relief appearance before his call-up, 67% of Sproat’s pitches were four-seamers or curveballs. That’s a simple, vertical sequence that he can tunnel by aiming both pitches right down the middle.

That approach often turns converted starters into successful relievers. Getting less cute with pitch usage and command can free a pitcher mentally and physically. By throwing their two or three best pitches at max effort anywhere in the strike zone, things can click into place pretty easily. The Brewers have recently seen it work for Chad Patrick and Shane Drohan.

It doesn’t address Sproat’s biggest issue: letting things get out of hand quickly after a bad sequence or plate appearance. He showed brief flashes of dominance in nearly every start, but he was prone to big innings, and when something disrupted his rhythm on the mound, he couldn’t recalibrate. That’s what did him in on Wednesday.

Sproat walked Crow-Armstrong on eight pitches to open the inning. The adage is that leadoff walks will haunt defenses, but the real turning point was when Sproat attempted to pick off Crow-Armstrong in a situation where every team would give him second base on defensive indifference. Andrew Vaughn was not holding the runner, so Sproat’s throw sailed into foul territory.

The floodgates opened from there: a wild pitch as part of a five-pitch walk, a third walk to load the bases, an Alex Bregman strikeout, then a run-scoring walk.

“I knew he was nervous,” Murphy said. “No matter what, you can’t let it snowball like that.”

“It’s a game of highs and lows,” William Contreras said. “I don’t know if he’s out there trying to do more than what he is. We all know who he is in this room. We’ve seen plenty of him this season. He’s helped us this season. But it’s a hard game whenever you’re trying to do more than maybe what you’re capable of.”

Until that part of Sproat’s game is resolved, he’ll keep running into similar issues in any role. For now, he’ll almost certainly head back to Nashville in exchange for a fresh arm. Given his upside, it’s still hard to rule him out for a postseason roster spot, but that won’t happen until Sproat proves he can stay poised and course-correct during an outing. Time is running out for that to happen in 2026.

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[HarryDoyle]

Wow, I thought a trip to the minors would do him some good so I'm shocked to hear his walk rate was even worse there. Makes you wonder why he was called back up? I think the worst part of this is it's in his head now and if he can't figure it out next year, they'll have to chalk it up as a bust.

[jay87shot]

I still have a lot of faith in Sproat long term, at least as a multi inning guy however I agree that last night might be his only shot this year at the bullpen. I think Cam Wagoner is pitching to well not to give him a look.

[Brian]

58 minutes ago, jay87shot said:

I still have a lot of faith in Sproat long term, at least as a multi inning guy however I agree that last night might be his only shot this year at the bullpen. I think Cam Wagoner is pitching to well not to give him a look.

Cam Wagoner is a good choice. Is Nashville's Garrett Stallings hurt? 

[biedergb]

Crap - Sproat has arm talent, but cannot be in the zone enough for MLB hitters to respect it and when he is in the zone they can hit it hard as we saw earlier this year.

Sproat and Harrison were supposed to help solidify the starting staff, but they are the two biggest wild card, well Harrison is, Sproat should not be on the team in October, and will hopefully start next year in AAA and see if he can locate better.  Bummer that Peralta trade looks even worse with a lost season for Jett as well.

[Team Canada]

He kind of reminds me of Elvis Peguero, in that the arm action is so big that it feels like that's a contributor to the lack of control. Contrast it with some who's uber efficient like Woodruff.

Obviously you can't just change how you throw a ball overnight, but it'd be interesting to see if tweaking the delivery would help.

[Turning2]

He needs to go back down for this year. Seems like the consistent mechanics reach a failure point, and then the pressure mounts and it goes sideways quick. Too good of arm to give up on though. Get him more quality time with the pitching staff in the offseason. They need to find some mechanical device, the tidal tube or something similar, to get him trained into a repeatable motion. 

[Trax]

At whatever level from Arizona up get Sproat the direction and honing he needs to start next year.

He has the tools to work with, they need to be refined.  

[JohnBriggs12]

Why not just bring up Koenig?  He's only allowed 1 run in his last 8 games.  I get he's a one inning guy but he's not going to be overwhelmed in a game the team has a big lead.

[homer]

 

 

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

1 minute ago, homer said:

 

 

No real choice here. You can't have the guy in the game. I feel bad for him. Hopefully he gets another shot in that final series against the Cardinals, when it's mostly past mattering. If nothing else, he could use a confidence boost heading into the offseason.

Lots of call-up options, and I'd imagine Wilson and Anderson will both be coming off the IL, so it might be tough to find a spot for Sproat moving forward, even in meaningless MLB games. 

[patrickgpe]

Cameron Crow pitched last night so he isn't an option for the Reds series. the only 2 options are Koenig or Stallings. I would this the later since he can pitch multiple innings. 

[Secret Stadium Sauce]

needs extensive shock therapy

 

think Bob and Doug McKenzie in Strange Brew

[Pugger]

I didn't get to see last night's game, only highlights.  Did we really take our foot off the gas offensively?  If so that isn't going to work against teams with competent bullpens in October. 

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

1 minute ago, Pugger said:

I didn't get to see last night's game, only highlights.  Did we really take our foot off the gas offensively?  If so that isn't going to work against teams with competent bullpens in October. 

We definitely did not do as many great things from the third inning on, but it is hard to fault and offense that scored 8 runs last night

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

1 hour ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

No real choice here. You can't have the guy in the game. I feel bad for him. Hopefully he gets another shot in that final series against the Cardinals, when it's mostly past mattering. If nothing else, he could use a confidence boost heading into the offseason.

Lots of call-up options, and I'd imagine Wilson and Anderson will both be coming off the IL, so it might be tough to find a spot for Sproat moving forward, even in meaningless MLB games. 

I’m really pulling for sproat and hope he can be a key contributor next year and in future years.  I’m just not sure at this point, though that he’s anything more than AAAA pitcher.

He certainly has the physical talent, but I’m not sure that he has the mental composure necessary to be a solid, major league pitcher.

Beyond Ms. and Henderson, I think there are some big questions for next year.  Ken Harrison regain the elite form He had early in the season?

Can Priester be effective and look like the picture he was in 2025?

Does Drohan take the next step?

does Patrick remain in the bullpen or do we give him another shot at starting?

can Gasser build on some of his recent success to find more long-term success in our rotation?

The Brewers coach coaching staff for pitch has been outstanding.  I’m guessing someone not even on our radar right now could emerge next year as a plus pitcher for us.

as you can never have too much pitching, I’m sure we will also target a young arm in the off-season as well

edit:  initially forgot about Gasser

[homer]

39 minutes ago, Secret Stadium Sauce said:

needs extensive shock therapy

 

think Bob and Doug McKenzie in Strange Brew

If you'd stick to your 12 point maintenance program, we wouldn't have to jump-start ya like this.

[Sugarrayray]

Between Sproat’s performance and that constant spooked look in his eyes, he really has Manny Parra-like mental vibes.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I guess Burnes is the most hopeful possible comparison for Sproat, but Burnes at least had a record of success as a bullpen arm before struggling as a big-league starter.

DL Hall is maybe another hopeful example, though his early ineffectiveness was clearly impacted by physical health and maybe the org (or Hall himself) trying too hard to stick to starting.

It's very early to give up on Sproat completely, especially given the physical talent. Right now, the Brewers aren't taking a huge gamble letting him pitch in Triple A or try again out of the pen in mostly meaningless games. But, yeah, last night just went from a potential confidence-boost to total destruction super quickly. 

I'd be willing to bet he gets another legit shot next year, with some leash even, but my confidence in his success is not as high as it was with Hall for whatever reason. 

[Ron750]

Sproat is a bust so far. It looks like Jett Williams has a chronic wrist problem and may be damaged goods. So all the applause for what a genius Matt Arnold was for this deal may have been premature. 
Peralta didn’t have a great year, but maybe he would have been better if he had stayed in Milwaukee.  
I think Sproat needs a sport psychologist. Murphy’s tough love might have broke him, unlike Gasser who responded. 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

17 minutes ago, Ron750 said:

Sproat is a bust so far. It looks like Jett Williams has a chronic wrist problem and may be damaged goods. So all the applause for what a genius Matt Arnold was for this deal may have been premature. 
Peralta didn’t have a great year, but maybe he would have been better if he had stayed in Milwaukee.  
I think Sproat needs a sport psychologist. Murphy’s tough love might have broke him, unlike Gasser who responded. 

I don't know if it is necessarily fair to degrade Arnold on this trade. Not yet at least. As we've seen with the Burnes trade, especially when you are dealing for very young, inexperienced and untested talent, it sometimes takes a bit for these guys to find themselves. Of course, sometimes they never do. But it isn't like Sproat and Williams were two dart throws. Both were high draft picks and have Top 100 prospect pedigrees. Williams is only 22, and Sproat is 25. The Brewers could have targeted players who were further away from MLB contributions, but instead chose guys who they likely planned on making contributions this year. That put them more intensely under the microscope right away. And yes, the returns haven't been what we'd all hoped so far. But IMO we are a LONG way from being able to definitely call this trade a failure.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

28 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I don't know if it is necessarily fair to degrade Arnold on this trade. Not yet at least. As we've seen with the Burnes trade, especially when you are dealing for very young, inexperienced and untested talent, it sometimes takes a bit for these guys to find themselves. Of course, sometimes they never do. But it isn't like Sproat and Williams were two dart throws. Both were high draft picks and have Top 100 prospect pedigrees. Williams is only 22, and Sproat is 25. The Brewers could have targeted players who were further away from MLB contributions, but instead chose guys who they likely planned on making contributions this year. That put them more intensely under the microscope right away. And yes, the returns haven't been what we'd all hoped so far. But IMO we are a LONG way from being able to definitely call this trade a failure.

I would say the trade (as far as impact on 2026) is a failure, with the potential to get better in 2027/2028 if we eventually get positive contributions from Sproat/Williams (negative WAR in 2026)

If you're trading a legit #1 starter in Peralta (coming off 2025 season in which he was a contender for Cy Young), you'd hope to get players who aren't negative WAR in value.   Granted, if we traded them for younger/less polished prospects, we maybe would still be waiting a couple years.

In hindsight, Peralta has been very bad in 2026 as well, so it really ended up (judging by only 2026) as junk for junk.  I don't think we "lost" this trade, but we certainly didn't "win it" either.  Hoping by 2028 or 2029 we absolutely will have won the trade.

[wiguy94]

5 hours ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

No real choice here. You can't have the guy in the game. I feel bad for him. Hopefully he gets another shot in that final series against the Cardinals, when it's mostly past mattering. If nothing else, he could use a confidence boost heading into the offseason.

Lots of call-up options, and I'd imagine Wilson and Anderson will both be coming off the IL, so it might be tough to find a spot for Sproat moving forward, even in meaningless MLB games. 

The thing is I’m not even sure you could trust him in a game that doesn’t matter because you still need to trust him to get outs even if the runs allowed don’t matter. Brewers could have been winning by 15 runs yesterday and Sproat still wouldn’t have been able to finish that game because his pitch count was so out of control.

They like him enough where they aren’t going to let him throw his arm off to get desired amount of outs

[JohnBriggs12]

Back in the 70's a book came out titled "A False Spring".  It's author, Pat Jordan, was a young phenom in the Milwaukee Braves minor league system in the late 1950's.  He was a flame-throwing righthanded pitcher who signed with the Braves for a big bonus.  This was before the amateur draft when teams bid on young talent.  Jordan was one of the gems of the Braves system and was expected to sail through the minor league levels.  He went straight to pro ball after graduating from high school in 1959.  He selected the Braves after his preferred team, the Yankees, pivoted to a highly sought after Wisconsin high schooler by the name of Hub King out of Fond du Lac.  As a youngster growing up in Fond du Lac, King was kind of a legend who's career stalled out after several unspectacular years toiling in the Yankees system. 

Nothing really unusual about that but in the case of Jordan, his problems showed themselves soon after he started and the problem was he simply could not throw strikes.  In 273 minor league innings spread over 3 seasons, he struck out 250 which for the time was quite impressive.  The problem was he walked 270. 

I recommend the book to any baseball fan.  Watching Sproat this season reminded me of this book I had read so many years ago.  I feel for Sproat.  He may never regain the ability to be a useful pitcher, but even if he doesn't, he's got a full life ahead of him.  Pat Jordan went on to become a successful writer who wrote for Sports Illustrated.  And at the age of 56 in 1997, in his hometown of Waterbury, CT, he was invited to pitch an inning for their local independent league team.  He faced 4 batters.  Struck out one, walked just one and retired the other two in a scoreless, hitless inning.  He had conquered his demons, at least for one brief moment.

Here's hoping Brandon will conquer his.  

[patrickgpe]

Sporat wouldn't be the first young brewer pitcher that needed some time to figure out how to pitch at the MLB level. The shame is that if there is a lockout, he will be shutout from using team facilities. Hindsight being 20/20 bringing him back was a massive mistake and did nothing for his confidence. He fell flat on his face and his manager let him have it.