Unreliable NY Mets player is making it clear who Brandon Sproat should replace

Ryne Stanek has made one thing painfully obvious this season. When he takes the mound, every mistake feels magnified, every shaky inning feels louder, and every fan starts wondering how much longer the New York Mets are willing to wait. It’s not just a rough stretch; he’s been consistently unreliable, and the question looming over Queens isn’t if the Mets notice, but what they might do about it.

Kodai Sengas’ next start is scheduled to be on four days’ rest, something the Mets haven’t tried this season, and it throws an interesting wrinkle into the mix. Brandon Sproat is waiting for an opportunity, and with Stanek’s struggles, questions about who might see the mound next are starting to swirl. Nothing is set in stone, but the situation is tense enough that a move—or at least a decision—could be coming sooner rather than later.

Ryne Stanek’s struggles could clear the way for Brandon Sproat in the Mets rotation.

This season, Stanek has struggled to find consistency for the Mets. He’s pitching to a 5.65 ERA, allowing 46 hits and 23 walks over 43 innings. In high-leverage situations, he’s been especially unreliable, giving up hits at a .340 clip with a staggering .940 OPS. With each shaky outing, it’s becoming harder to imagine Stanek holding onto a roster spot if the Amazins’ decide they need a fresh arm in the rotation.

Thursday’s loss to the Washington Nationals was another example. He entered in the eighth inning, trying to keep the Mets within reach, but instead allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. What was a 5-3 game quickly turned into a 9-3 blowout. Performances like this put the spotlight on Stanek as the reliever most likely to be removed if the Mets make a roster move.

The schedule isn’t helping. The Mets are three games into a 16-game stretch, and Kodai Senga is about to be asked to start on four days’ rest for the first time all season. After Nolan McLean’s recent call-up and strong debut, fans have been anticipating another prospect to step up. Brandon Sproat, the team’s third-best pitching prospect, could be that arm, and a call-up now would give the Mets more flexibility with the rotation.

Sproat has been dominant in the second half at AAA Syracuse. Over his last nine starts, he’s posted a 2.04 ERA with a .85 WHIP, 57 strikeouts in 48.1 innings, and has held opposing hitters to a .144 batting average. The timing is right for a call-up. Adding Sproat could push the Mets to a six-man rotation, allow Senga to return to a normal five-day rest schedule, and make Stanek the obvious candidate to exit the roster.

If the Mets bring up Sproat, it would be about more than just filling a spot. It’s a chance to test a top pitching prospect in meaningful innings while managing the starting staff’s workload across a long stretch. For Stanek, it’s a tough break, but sometimes roster decisions come down to timing and opportunity as much as performance.