Move over Brandon Sproat, Baseball America names a new top NY Mets pitching prospect

In baseball, expectations are often set early. You’ve got your standouts, your headline-makers, and your top-of-the-chart prospects that everyone keeps an eye on. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan. It’s like showing up to the airport fully expecting to board one flight, only to hear your gate’s been changed. You’re still headed to the same destination, but the route got a shake-up. In the New York Mets’ system, everyone thought they knew which arm was leading the way. The ticket was stamped, and the buzz was building. Then Baseball America made a gate announcement of its own. It turns out that the top pitching prospect isn’t the one that fans have been tracking all spring. It's the one who quietly took off while everyone else was still boarding.

In Baseball America’s updated Top 100, Nolan McLean has now claimed the mantle as the New York Mets’ top pitching prospect, jumping ahead of Brandon Sproat.

After jumping from 99th to 72nd in Baseball America’s updated Top 100, Nolan McLean is making waves with his mid-90s fastball and a top-tier sweeper. His promotion from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse follows an impressive stretch in Binghamton, where he posted a 1.37 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts over 26.1 innings. While his command is still a work in progress, McLean’s electric stuff and ability to generate swings and misses have solidified his status as one of the Mets' most exciting arms.

Brandon Sproat has taken a step back to start the season, dropping from 61st to 99th in Baseball America’s Top 100. Starting the year with Triple-A Syracuse, the right-hander has posted a 5.48 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 23 innings, with 12 walks and just 17 strikeouts. While six of his 11 earned runs came in a rough outing, the overall dip in strikeouts and ongoing command issues have raised some concerns. There's still plenty of upside in his arsenal, but the early returns have been uneven.

With McLean’s rise, it’s no longer a stretch to wonder if he’ll reach the majors before Sproat. Just last week, the Mets turned to Blade Tidwell when they needed a starter, another sign that prospect rankings don’t always dictate the pecking order. Sproat may have entered the year as the top name on paper, but McLean’s making the kind of noise that’s hard to ignore.

Every season has a surprise storyline, and right now, McLean’s rise is stealing the spotlight. While Sproat was expected to be the first arm on the call-up list, McLean’s performance is changing the trajectory. The Mets may have started the year with a clear flight plan, but with each dominant outing, McLean’s quietly becoming the new ticket holder for the next big promotion. If he keeps it up, it won’t be long before he’s the one cleared for takeoff, leaving others in the boarding line behind him.