Jonah Tong continues to dominate with another brilliant outing

Tong took the mound for the Rumble Ponies this afternoon against the Somerset Patriots and delivered a dominant performance, allowing just three hits and two walks over five shutout innings while striking out eight more batters. The strikeouts brought Tong's punchout total to 154 on the season, which is the most in the minors (across any level) in 2025.

On the year, Tong has allowed only 47 hits in 97 innings pitched while working to a 1.58 ERA and 0.94 WHIP for the Rumble Ponies. Opponents are hitting just .141 against Tong on the season, showcasing how dominant he has been against Eastern League competition since the start of the campaign.

The success that Tong has had is a major credit to the Mets' player development program, which turned a 2023 seventh-round pick into a potential top of the rotation arm at age 22. The next question that the Mets have to answer with Tong is when their top pitching prospect will move up to face more advanced competition for Triple-A Syracuse.

The Double-A level does not appear to be a challenge for Tong, and now would appear to be an appropriate point in his development to face more advanced hitters in the International League. The Mets didn't have a rotation spot open with Syracuse until recently, but the organization's decision to move Blade Tidwell to San Francisco in the Tyler Rogers trade should create a spot for Tong.

It is fair to question whether the Mets' conservative approach to promoting their pitching prospects has factored into Tong's continued work at Double-A, along with both Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean remaining with Syracuse despite the issues the Mets have at the big league level. While David Stearns is looking at a longer view with their development, it is worth asking why the Mets feel neither of the two Triple-A starters is considered as an option over a struggling Frankie Montas.

While Tong isn't going to help the big league club this year, he should be in the mix for a promotion to Syracuse before long. Expect the Mets to bring Tong to big league spring training next season, where he could have a shot to force his way to the majors if he continues tearing up minor league batters in the process.