Mets prospect Jonah Tong strikes out nine in first Triple-A start

Jonah Tong has dominated every level of minor league baseball in 2025, and for at least one start, he did so in his first Triple-A game.

The Mets' young right-hander took the mound for Syracuse for the first time in his career and lived up to the hype. Tong tossed 90 pitches (59 strikes) across 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks, and striking out nine batters against Rochester on Saturday night.

Tong generated 18 swing and misses and his fastball topped out at 98 mph. All three hits came in different innings, and had a runner reach scoring position just twice in his outing. 

This latest start is another notch on what's been an incredible season for the 22-year-old. Tong, Joe DeMayo's No. 2 Mets prospect, took the baseball world by storm by demolishing Double-A hitting. Across 20 starts with Binghamton, Tong went 8-5 with a 1.59 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP while striking out 162 batters across 102.0 innings pitched.

New York promoted Tong, along with Jett Williams, Carson Benge and Ryan Clifford, to Triple-A earlier this month. 

Tong is one of three top pitching prospects that the Mets have in Triple-A. Brandon Sproat has impressed with Syracuse this year, while Nolan McLean made his MLB debut on Saturday for the Mets. 

McLean tossed 5.1 scoreless innings in the Mets' 3-1 win over the Mariners.

With how fast Sproat and Tong are developing, it's only a matter of time until they are slotted in the Mets' rotation.

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