Brandon Sproat Found Silver Linings in Unimpressive Brewers Debut

It's all about growing from the tough outings...

Mar 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) watches after giving up a grand slam home run to Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery (12) in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The best pitchers in Major League Baseball use their worst outings as an opportunity to learn something. Milwaukee Brewers newcomer Brandon Sproat seems to be adopting that mentality.

Sproat made his Brewers debut on Sunday after coming over in a late January trade with the New York Mets. He surrendered a first-inning grand slam to Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery, then only made it through three innings with seven total runs on the board.

One can imagine Sproat wasn't too pleased as he was told in the dugout that his day was over after three innings, but the day wasn't a lost cause for him or his teammates.

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How Sproat reacted to poor Brewers debut

Mar 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Somehow, thanks to six scoreless innings from the bullpen and late offensive heroics from Christian Yelich, the Brewers pulled out a 9-6 win. That made it a lot easier for Sproat to find some silver linings rather than dwell on his misfortune in his debut with a new club.

“I didn’t do my job today, but the bullpen came in and picked me up,” Sproat said, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “They all did a phenomenal job and the offense never gave up. That was great to see after putting us down.”

Sproat also recounted a mid-inning mound meeting from manager Pat Murphy, who is known for giving his players tough love at times. In this instance, the skipper seemed to know the right buttons to push instead with the rookie 25-year-old going through a tough day.

“The message he gave was really reassuring,” Sproat said. “It was like, ‘Hey man, obviously this isn’t how you want to start it, but let’s get back to pitching for the name on the front of your jersey.’ That was definitely nice to hear. I’ve got guys behind me.”

The Brewers' season-opening sweep of the White Sox showed their full range. They can pitch, they can slug, they can play defense, and they can run the bases. But perhaps just as importantly, when someone has a rough day, as Sproat did, they can relax knowing that their teammates are there to pick up the slack.