Jonah Tong, the No. 46 prospect in baseball on MLB Pipeline, got roughed up in his second start to his Triple-A campaign in 2026. Tong only lasted 1 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs (four earned) on four hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. Control has been an issue at times in Tong’s minor league career, and this start was no different. Only 34 of his 60 pitches thrown were for strikes, and his average four-seam fastball velocity was down nearly two miles per hour from last year, which is not uncommon for this time of the year. Despite the rough start, Tong is still looking to develop his secondary pitches to prepare for an eventual call-up to the Mets.

This loss brought Syracuse to 3-3 before squaring off again with Toledo at 4:05 PM for Fizzy Friday & Fireworks day.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (3-3) 7, Toledo Mud Hens (2-4) 17

BOX SCORE

• DH Nick Morabito 2-for-4, BB, 2B, R (.818 OPS)
• SS Ronny Mauricio 3-for-5, 2B, RBI (.697 OPS)
• LF Ryan Clifford 2-for-5, 2 K (.572 OPS)
• C Hayden Senger 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R (1.257 OPS)
• 2B Vidal Bruján 2-for-2, 2B, BB, R, K (1.127 OPS)

Offense was not the issue for Syracuse, who was able to put together 13 hits and score seven runs. Five Syracuse Mets players collected multi-hits, most notably Hayden Senger, who added two home runs and three runs batted in, raising his 2026 OPS to 1.257. Ronny Mauricio continued to heat up, adding three hits and a double. Ryan Clifford, MMO no. 5 prospect, tallied his first multi-hit game of 2026. Clifford has had hits in five out of the first six games in Syracuse, however also struck out five out of the first six games as well.

• RHP Jonah Tong 1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (6.35 ERA)
• RHP Ryan Lambert 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K (13.50 ERA)
• RHP Alex Carrillo  1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB (27.00 ERA)
• RHP Dan Hammer 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Daniel Duarte 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (6.75 ERA)

It was not just Jonah Tong who struggled, most of the Syracuse pitching staff struggled. Seven Syracuse Met pitchers made an appearance, and only two of them did not give up any earned runs. Mets relief pitching prospect Ryan Lambert gave up two extra-base hits and a run before striking out the side in the fourth inning. Alex Carrillo, a familiar face to some Mets fans, let the game get out of hand in the fifth with a combination of loud contact and a pair of walks, surrendering four earned runs while only being able to record one out.

Single-A

St. Lucie Mets (0-1) 3, Palm Beach Cardinals (1-0) 6

BOX SCORE

• SS Elian Peña 2-for-4, 2B, BB, K (1.350 OPS)
• 1B Randy Guzman 0-for-4, BB, K (.200 OPS)
• DH Julio Zayas 2-for-5, 2R, 2K (1.000 OPS)
• LF AJ Salgado 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB (1.400 OPS)

The St. Lucie Mets opened their season with a 6-3 loss to the Palm Beach Cardinals. This game marked the debut of 18-year-old shortstop prospect Elian Peña. Peña, MMO no. 8 prospect, notably bypassed the Complex League by being assigned directly to St. Lucie Mets in 2026. Peña tore up the DSL league in 2025, producing a .949 OPS, nine home runs, 33 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and an equal number of walks and strikeouts. This talent was on direct display in the opener, as Peña went 2-for-4, added a well-struck double to right, and walked. Julio Zayas added a pair of hits and runs, and LF AJ Salgado hit the team’s first home run of the season.

• LHP Nicolas Carreno 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2K (3.86 ERA)
• RHP Tyler McLoughlin 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (16.20 ERA)
• RHP Omar Victorino 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (3.00 ERA)
• RHP Felix Cepeda 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER (0.00 ERA)

Opening day starter Nicolas Carreno was up to 96 miles per hour in his 2026 debut. Carreno made a brief appearance for St. Lucie last year, throwing six innings with a 1.50 ERA. Tyler McLoughlin, the Mets 10th round pick from the 2025 Amateur Draft out of the University of Georgia, made his debut in his first full professional season. McLoughlin, throwing from a nearly sidearm arm slot, looks to establish himself this year as a relief pitching prospect in the Mets farm system. Felix Cepeda, formerly of the Red Sox farm system, made his Mets debut, throwing a scoreless inning to start his season.