The New York Mets’ top pitching prospect, Jonah Tong, has turned heads this season, having the lowest ERA in Minor League Baseball and the most strikeouts.
Tong, 22, is a Chinese Canadian right-handed pitcher and has racked up 154 strikeouts in just 97 innings of work with an ERA of 1.58. He is with the Mets’ Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, and spoke to the media before their game against the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, in Bridgewater, N.J., on Aug. 7.
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Tong took a unique path to the Mets, spending the majority of his life in Canada and attending Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham, Ontario, for high school. He moved to the United States towards the end of his high school career to play at Georgia Premier Academy in Statesboro, Ga.
“It’s a little bit different because our seasons are shorter. I would honestly say that the competition growing up there wasn’t that much different than the states,” Tong said of playing in Canada. “Obviously, guys are going to be at different points of their development. Going to the States was always a fun challenge, and going through my career at different points has been a privilege.”
His pitch mix starts with a fastball that has 20 inches of vertical movement, and also includes a curveball, changeup, and slider.
In 2022, Tong was drafted by the Mets, but he didn’t pitch for them professionally until 2023. In 2023, he struggled with an ERA of 6.00 in 21 innings between their Florida Complex League team and their Low-A affiliate, the Port St. Lucie Mets.
“I have gotten physically and mentally stronger. We tweaked with certain pitches like the slider, and I think dealing with adversity made me a better player,” Tong said on his development.
The slider is still a work in progress for him, but he likes how the pitch has looked lately, clocking in at 82-84 mph.
His curveball is one of his best pitches, and it features over 65 inches of vertical drop and a velocity of 74-76 mph. The way he figured out how to throw it was interesting.
“My dad and I found that grip on YouTube, and we kind of just went with it. It’s a very traditional curveball. It’s 12-to-6, just trying to throw it like normal. It’s easy for me to sit here and explain it, but there’s more technical stuff that goes into it,” Tong said. His father, Alex, has taken a huge interest in his development over the years, and he has helped him learn how to throw a lot of pitches.
“It’s a combination of everything, and the biggest and most popular guy that influenced it was Kershaw because of how traditional it is. After that, I was watching a few other guys and refining it.
Another pitch that has developed strongly for Tong this season is his changeup, which comes in at 84-86 mph.
“I feel like I’ve seen the most consistent growth with my changeup this season,” he said.
, and he talked about Tong.
“It’s been outstanding and fun to watch his evolution. I just love how he goes about his work, and his attention in the bullpen is really professional,” said Binghamton Mets manager Reid Brignac, who has been at the helm of the Mets’ Double-A club since 2022.
“I also have to give credit to our pitching coach, Dan McKinney. He does a good job connecting with our players and getting the best out of them.”
Asked about playing in the World Baseball Classic for Canada or China, Tong said, “My main focus is finishing the season here. In the offseason, we’ll worry about that, but that’s not on my radar right now.”
Photo: Jonah Tong is the New York Mets’ top pitching prospect.
