New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza doesn’t want to put too much pressure on rookie starting pitcher Jonah Tong, but the Mets are in disarray.
They will need Tong to have a big outing on Sept. 12 at Citi Field against a familiar face in Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him. We expect all the guys who are here now to contribute. It’s great that we’re getting contributions from Tong and McLean, but we need all of them,” Mendoza said in Detroit before the Mets game against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 2.
Tong also reflected on his debut, which saw him battle through five innings to get the win at Citi Field against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 30.
“It was a lot of fun and it was everything I ever dreamed of and I’m really grateful for the fans and the atmosphere that they created,” Tong told World Baseball Network on September 2 in Detroit. “The best part of my debut was the fans.”
He worked around six hits to surrender just one run in his debut with six strikeouts in five innings, and at 97 pitches, he got his last batter out to avoid getting pulled.
“There’s always stuff to work on. I was really just happy with how I pitched on my debut because there was a lot more adrenaline than I was used to,” Tong added. “I’m excited to see how things move forward.”
Tong made his second Major League start against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark on Sept. 6, and he gave up three home runs, which was more than he gave up in his entire minor league season.
It was another learning experience for Tong. His season was mostly smooth sailing with the Mets’ Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Mets, and he took a lot from his time there.
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“Just to have fun. We have a great opportunity to play baseball, the game that we love, and to enjoy every minute of it,” Tong said about his time in Binghamton.
Tong’s fastball has shown a lot of life, topping out at 98 mph with a lot of vertical movement with a drop of 9.7 inches and he expanded on how he has refined his secondary pitches to support that.
“It’s just about finding things that are comfortable. I have a great opportunity to be around a bunch of special people. They have a bunch of ideas, and I’m always open to that. There was a lot of research and development that went into that,” Tong told World Baseball Network.
Tong was born in Markham, Ontario, around 30 minutes from Toronto. His father is Chinese but he has not visited China, although he didn’t rule it out in the future. Tong “absolutely loves” grilled cheese with Maple Syrup, and he cuts the sandwiches into cubes and dips them in the syrup.
Now, Tong will try to double-dip with another win at Citi Field and try to get the Mets back on track after losing seven of their last eight games.
Photo: New York Mets pitcher Jonah Tong throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
