The New York Mets claimed the series opener against their division rival, the Miami Marlins, in Miami Monday afternoon, 9-4. The offense erupted for 16 hits with A.J. Ewing leading the charge with his own three-hit affair.
It was a dominant performance with the bats in a game that was circled for an entirely different reason: top prospect Jonah Tong‘s first start of 2026.
Jonah Tong by Berto Carlo
With eyes clearly pointed toward a 2027 horizon (obligatory “if there is a 2027” comment), it will be important for the Mets’ offseason strategy to get a better read on what they have in Jonah Tong.
Even though Monday afternoon was Tong’s first start of the year, it was his fourth appearance after he was called up at the end of May for several piggyback appearances.
The key difference here is that his first call-up was due to the rotation’s health being in dire straits.
This time, Tong earned his promotion by pitching more like the top pitching prospect he established himself as following his incredible 2025 run. My colleague details here what Tong improved upon during his recent stretch and what he still needs to work on to take another step in his development.
Tong began the afternoon in dominant fashion, striking out the first four batters he faced on 19 pitches. He was also gifted a three-run cushion from the offense after their first two frames. However, it only took 16 pitches over his next four batters for the tone of the game to shift. Tong allowed, in order, a ground-ball single to right field, a line-drive RBI triple to center field, a seven-pitch walk, and a three-run home run to right field.
But Tong locked in from there. Following the three-run shot, Tong retired six straight and 11 of the final 13 batters he faced. In total, Tong allowed four runs on four hits, one walk, and one hit-by-pitch while striking out seven on 87 pitches across five innings.
Of Tong’s 87 pitches, he threw 33 changeups, 27 four-seam fastballs, 20 cutters, and seven curveballs. He located his pitches well, throwing 55 for strikes, while limiting the damage to four hard-hit balls.
Yes, the opening four strikeouts are exciting, but seeing Tong bounce back and show toughness was far more important.
Mets manager Andy Green after the game highlighted the toughness Tong showed out on the mound. “To watch him be a cutthroat competitor, get in there and just go right back at them for the next three innings, it was really good.”
Tong also noted the advantages he feels this year after having already made a handful of starts last year for the big league club. “Now, it’s more like [my] feet are more set … and just going out there just trying to do my job.”
The 23-year-old righty should be in line for three more starts down the stretch. Let’s see what else Jonah can show us.
