No. 4: Jonah Tong, RHP

B/T: R/R Age: 21 (06/19/2003)

Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 180 lbs

Acquired: Seventh round of 2022 Draft from Georgia Premier Academy

ETA: 2026

2024 Stats: Double-A Binghamton: 0-0, 2.89 ERA, 0.857 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 14 SO, 4 BB, 1 HR, 2 GS

High-A Brooklyn: 5-4, 3.71 ERA, 1.318 WHIP, 85 IP, 110 SO, 38 BB, 2 HR, 19 GS

Single-A St. Lucie: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.643 WHIP, 18.2 IP, 36 SO, 5 BB, 0 HR, 2 GS

Jonah Tong. Photo by @ITSDMPhotos via Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Overview

A seventh-round pick in 2022, Jonah Tong’s professional career didn’t exactly get off on the right foot.

After not appearing in a game following the ’22 draft, Tong put up a measly 6.00 ERA over 10 outings (eight starts) between the Florida Complex League and Single-A St. Lucie in 2023. The right-hander wasn’t at the forefront of any prospect rankings entering the 2024 campaign as a result, but that wouldn’t last for long.

Tong remained in St. Lucie to start the year and did not allow a single earned run across 18 2/3 innings, earning him a quick promotion to High-A Brooklyn in late April. He remained at the top of his game over his first month there, logging a 1.69 ERA in five May starts, though he hit a bit of a wall in June with a 5.06 ERA and 1.359 WHIP across five outings.

The 21-year-old settled back down in July with a 3.32 ERA and 13.3 strikeouts per nine in 21 2/3 innings before posting a 4.79 ERA over four August starts.

Tong’s final two appearances came in Double-A Binghamton, where he put up a 2.89 ERA and immaculate 0.857 WHIP across 9 1/3 frames.

The Canadian-born pitcher was perhaps the fastest-rising farmhand in the Mets’ system last season, and for good reason. His 160 punch outs were the ninth-most among qualified minor leaguers, and his 2.33 FIP trailed only Jormy Nivar of the Texas Rangers.

Tong cracked Baseball Prospectus’ top 101 prospects list heading into 2025, landing at No. 75. Jarrett Seidler and the publication’s prospect staff profiled him back in December, providing a more nuanced glimpse into his arsenal and movement profile.

“Tong has a very, very odd release point, almost cartwheeling off the mound to create a surprisingly low VAA with the aforementioned extreme vertical break from an overhand slot,” they wrote. “So despite fringe-average present velocity, his fastball plays really well, and he has three very interesting offspeeds. His most-used secondary was a mid-80s gyro slider which has pretty average movement, but it’s his less-used in-zone bat-missing change and extreme downward curve that show the most interesting traits. All of this is really deceptive because his look off the mound is so odd and everything moves a ton in unexpected directions, and Tong’s expected and actual whiff rates are both super-high.”

Perhaps the most notable red flag surrounding Tong is his command, as he walked 3.74 batters per nine in 2024. If he can straighten out that issue, however, he has all of the necessary traits to continue his ascent and eventually become a difference-maker for the Mets.

2025 Outlook  

Tong is primed to begin the season in Binghamton, where he’ll look to build upon the strong foundation he laid there last year, albeit over a small sample size. He could eventually find his way to Triple-A Syracuse, though it’s hard to see a world in which he reaches the majors in 2025. If everything goes as planned though, Tong could certainly factor into New York’s plans in 2026.