Jonah Tong is set to start for the New York Mets on Monday, but the real story isn’t the call-up itself. It is the shocking turnaround that earned him the spot after a season that looked doomed for months. While his overall numbers show a 4.54 ERA, the young pitcher has been nearly unhittable in his last four starts. He owns a 2.20ERA with 23 strikeouts over those final outings, a stat that proves his earlier struggles were just a temporary slump.
A Season of Ups and Downs
Tong entered the 2026 season with high hopes as the No. 5 prospect for the franchise, yet he quickly lost his way. He spent most of the year in Triple-A Syracuse, where he posted a 5-6 record with a 4.54 ERA. The changeup, the pitch that made him a star, simply stopped working. In July, his season ERA climbed to a dangerous 5.83 after his July 18 start, and he floundered during Spring Training. Interim manager Andy Green noted that Tong had been searching for the real feel of his best pitch while trying to develop new ones. The team even tried different arm slots and added a cutter, which only made things worse at first.
But the narrative shifted dramatically in August. RotoBaller MLB reported that Tong recorded a 2-1 record, 2.39 ERA, and 1.03 WHIP across just 26 1/3 innings in that single month. He struck out 26 batters while walking very few. This surge was not a fluke. Empire Sports Media reported that he tossed seven scoreless innings in his most recent start against Lehigh Valley, giving up just one hit and striking out eight. Reaching 97.1 mph with his fastball, he induced six whiffs from only eight swings using his changeup. The data shows a pitcher who found his groove when it mattered most.
The Plan for Miami
The Mets are ready to test this new version of Tong against the Miami Marlins. Regarding rotation changes, Green stated, “We knew the three guys going this series, and we now [can] say Jonah will start the first game against Miami.” This move comes as Robert Stock, who had made six starts in August, moves to the bullpen to make room. Stock had a 5.88 ERA in those starts, so the swap makes sense for the team’s immediate needs.
Green remains optimistic about Tong’s future despite the rough patches. This is the first major league start for Tong since September 2025, and it marks his fourth appearance of the current year.
A Fresh Look at a Young Arm
Tong’s path has been anything but smooth. He started in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, but he has faced significant hurdles. Earlier in the year during bullpen stints, he surrendered four earned runs across 10 innings while issuing seven walks. That performance raised doubts about his readiness for the big leagues. However, the recent dominance in the minors suggests he has solved the mechanics that held him back. He has 126 strikeouts in 107 innings across his Triple-A starts, showing he still has the stuff to miss bats.
President of baseball operations David Stearns has been vocal about the team’s young core, and Tong fits right into that vision. The 23-year-old is now getting a chance to prove he belongs. Green summed up the mindset perfectly when he said, “We don’t look at tough stretches as losses or failure; we look at it as learning that you stand on to go to your next level of greatness.” The Mets are betting that Tong’s August form is the real deal, not just a brief flare-up. If he can translate that 2.00 ERA to Miami, the rotation just got a massive boost.
