Jonah Tong. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
B/T: R/R Age: 22
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 180 lb
ETA: Debuted 2025
2024 Rank: 4th
Acquired: 2022 7th Round Draft Selection
Jonah Tong was drafted as a high school senior and committed to North Dakota State, but he declined when he signed with the Mets. Tong was not ranked as a major draft prospect on any major site at the time he was drafted, but one thing was clear: he knew how to induce spin.
His curveball already generated 2800 RPM of spin in high school, while his fastball came in with above-average backspin. These were the traits the Mets targeted when they drafted him. Three and a half years later, Tong has developed into a clear top 50 prospect.
Tong dominated the minors, pitching to a 1.43 ERA and 0.924 WHIP, earning him Baseball America’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He struck out 40.5% of batters he faced and held batters to a .148 AVG. He was utterly dominant and skyrocketed to the majors by the end of the 2025 season.
His cup of coffee was a bit rocky there with a 7.71 ERA and 1.77 WHIP across 18.2 innings pitched, and he was not aided by his defense behind him. 11 of his earned runs came from 2.2 IP as well. The other 16 innings he pitched to a 2.81 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with a 31.3% strikeout rate.
From 2024 to 2025, Tong added 2.4 MPH to his four-seam fastball, going from averaging 92.8 MPH to 95.2 MPH. In the majors, he threw as hard as 98.2 MPH. Tong also began throwing his curveball harder, going from 75.2 MPH to 77.5 MPH. He changed his changeup grip to a Vulcan grip and increased how often he threw it while experimenting with a slider, cutter, and sweeper as an east-to-west breaking pitch.
Tong’s 64-degree arm angle is among the highest in baseball, drawing comparisons to Tim Lincecum. This helps him throw his fastball with 19.8 inches of induced vertical break, among the highest in all of baseball. His fastball works best at the top of the zone. He primarily paired it with his Vulcan change, which moves arm side with 13.6 inches of horizontal break, and his curveball, which drops with 16.5 inches of iBV and a spin rate north of 2,600 RPM.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, Tong experimented with various cutter and slider grips and will continue to experiment in 2026. Baseball Prospectus mentioned in their write-up that a “hand of God” slider could be the glove-side bridge pitch he needs between the fastball, changeup, and curveball. It is a very rarely used type of slider due to its difficulty to command. When it is not commanded well, it can turn into more of a cutter. A new cutter grip may also just be the pitch he needs.
Tong has arrived at camp early and looks as if he has simplified his delivery. It will be interesting to see if he has any further velocity gains similar to what he did in 2025. Getting his curveball over 80 MPH will help it play up even further as a swing and miss pitch, and there are not typically downsides to increasing fastball velocity.
Tong started the season in Triple-A, hoping to refine his mechanics, command, and new glove-side pitch. He will also be expected to contribute to the majors across the 2026 season. He turned in a solid season debut on March 27th’s Opening Day, setting the tone for what he hopes is another season like his 2025 campaign.