Mets Minors Recap: Tong, McLean Becoming Strikeout Machines

Here is a 35-second video courtesy of MLB Pipeline showing strike three of each of Nolan McLean‘s seven strikeouts Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse. He has struck out 97 in 87 1/3 innings and pitched to a 2.78 ERA, which would lead the International League if he had enough innings to qualify.

And here is Jonah Tong striking out top Yankees prospect George Lombard. Tong fanned eight for Double-A Binghamton. He leads the Eastern League in strikeouts with 162 in 102 innings pitched. He’s also first in ERA (1.59), WHIP (0.92) and batting average against (.143).

Tong was promoted to Syracuse after the start, along with teammates Jett Williams, Carson Benge and Ryan Clifford. That is a lot of juice headed to Syracuse. Williams, Benge and Tong were the top three prospects in Metsmerized Online’s midseason prospect rankings update. Clifford was No. 8.

Jonah Tong Photo by Steven Wojtowicz of Metsmerized

Triple-A

Charlotte Knights (54-59) 5, Syracuse Mets (60-54) 1

Box Score

1B-LF Jared Young, 2-for-4, K (.940 OPS)
DH Joey Meneses, 1-for-4, RBI (49), 2 K (.779 OPS)
CF Gilberto Celestino, 1-for-1, R (.777 OPS)

Young, a 30-year-old who hit three homers with the (major league) Mets in 19 games, entered Sunday slashing .296/.386/.553 in 210 plate appearances at Syracuse. Luisangel Acuña was a late scratch because of an illness, and manager Dick Scott said he is expected to play Tuesday.

RHP Nolan McLean (2.78 ERA) 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 7 K, HR
LHP Brandon Waddell (4.34 ERA) 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 K, HR

McLean has struck out at least six in seven consecutive starts.

Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (71-35) 0, Somerset Patriots (58-50) 2

Box Score

LF Nick Morabito, 1-for-3, BB, CS (7) (.771 OPS)
RF D’Andre Smith, 1-for-4, SB (12) 2K (.733 OPS)
2B Jett Williams, 0-for-4, 2 K (.867 OPS)
CF Carson Benge, 0-for-4, K (.978 OPS)
1B Ryan Clifford, 0-for-4, 3 K (.848 OPS)

Smith had one of Binghamton’s four hits and made a spectacular throw from right field to nail a runner at third. Williams, 22, was the Mets’ first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2022 draft from Rockwell-Heath (Texas) High School. Benge, 22, was the Mets’ first-round pick (19th overall) last year from Oklahoma State University, who started the season at High-A Brooklyn. Clifford was an Astros 11th-round pick in 2022 who was dealt to the Mets with others for Justin Verlander in 2023.

RHP Jonah Tong (1.59 ERA) 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 8 K, L

Tong, a seventh round pick in 2022, struck out eight for the third-straight start. The 22-year-old Canadian has fanned eight or more in 13 of his 20 starts.

A.J. Ewing. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (62-46) 8, Hudson Valley Renegades (65-40) 4

Box Score

2B A.J. Ewing, 2-for-5, 2 RBI (26), 2 SB (44), R (.775 OPS)
SS Marco Vargas, 1-for-4, 3 RBI (33), CS (5), BB (.613 OPS)
DH Jefrey De Los Santos, 1-for-2, 3B, 3 R, 2 BB, K (.624 OPS)

Ewing, whose RBI single brought the Cyclones within a run, is second in the South Atlantic League in batting average (.288) and fifth in on-base percentage (.387). He’s also fourth in steals despite playing 18 games at Low-A St. Lucie to start the season.

RHP Joel Díaz (3.90 ERA) 4 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, BB, K
LHP Ryan Ammons (2.38 ERA) IP, H, BB, 2 K, W

Ammons, 24, has struck out 49 in 34 innings pitched. He hasn’t allowed a run in five consecutive appearances.

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (65-42) 8, Tampa Tarpons (48-56) 5

Box Score

SS Mitch Voit, 2-for-5, 2 SB (5), 2 R (.510 OPS)
3B Jeremy Rodriguez, 2-for-5, R (.572 OPS)
1B Randy Guzman, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI (14), K (1.029 OPS)

Voit, the Mets’ first-round pick last month, played 56 games at second base, 51 at third, 34 at first, 22 in the outfield and one at shortstop in his college career at Michigan. Interesting that the Mets gave him his second start at shortstop in six games on Sunday. Guzman, a 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic who posted an .845 OPS in Rookie Ball for the Florida Complex League Mets this year, is 17-for-49 (.347 batting average) with two home runs in 13 games for St. Lucie.