QUEENS, NY — Jonah Tong is the exception to David Stearns and the New York Mets’ rule.
The 22-year-old right-hander needed just two starts in Triple-A to prove to the organization that he was ready for the big leagues, getting the call-up to the majors on Tuesday ahead of his MLB debut on Friday, where he will toe the rubber at Citi Field against the Miami Marlins.
“It’s a combination of where a player is development-wise and opportunity. This went fast for Jonah,” Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, said. “To his credit, he really conquered everything we put in front of him. He exceeded our expectations throughout this year, and he put himself in a position where he deserved to be considered for a day like this.
“Ultimately, as we got into planning this weekend out and the next series out, it lined up well for him. He’s going to be on normal turn… we’re comfortable giving him the ball.”
Tong’s dominance has been unstoppable this season. Starting 2025 with Double-A Binghamton, he went 8-5 with a 1.59 ERA and an Eastern League-leading 162 strikeouts in 102 innings pitched.
He was called up to Triple-A Syracuse on Aug. 11, posted two scoreless outings (11.2 innings pitched), allowing eight hits with 17 strikeouts compared to three walks. It was all the Mets’ braintrust needed to see, giving him the call much earlier than most other top pitching prospects would receive. The organizational philosophy is usually predicated on extensive minor-league time before heading to the show.
“He’s pushed us on this because of his performance,” Stearns said. “We think he’s ready for this. We also acknowledge that this has gone faster than any of us would have anticipated.”
Tong separated himself from the rest of the farm system’s pack thanks to his versatility. While his fastball is “his calling card,” as Stearns put it, an expanding arsenal ensures that he can remain dominant even when a main pitch isn’t working.
“He’s added a changeup this year that’s been really good, and we’ve seen outings that have shown tremendous maturity on the mound where if something’s not working,” Stearns said. “He’s able to switch the approach and go to the slider more, throw a few more curveballs, and allow himself to get through outings really successfully, even if he’s not following the exact plan that he thought he was going to follow.”
The proverbial leash for Tong is only for one inning, at least for now, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The promotion comes out of necessity with the Mets in the middle of a 16-game-in-16-day stretch that calls for a sixth starter.
If he excels, the Mets would be more inclined to find a way for him to stay and join fellow top pitching prospect Nolan McLean, who has spun two gems to start his MLB career to the tune of a 1.46 ERA in 12.1 innings, in the rotation for the stretch run.
“We’re getting to a point now where our job is to put the best guys out there day in and day out and go with the players who are going to give us the best chance to win that particular day,” Mendoza said. “So he’s going to get an opportunity Friday, and then we’ll go from there…
“It’s an exciting time for the organization, but at the same time, I don’t want to put too much on his plate. McLean is McLean, and Jonah Tong is Jonah Tong. It’s hard to ask these guys to come up here and save us, if you want to call it that. It’s just go out and be yourself, don’t put extra pressure. But he earned it. I’m excited.”
