It has been a very up-and-down 2026 for Jonah Tong, but he has a chance to wipe those concerns away over the last few weeks of the season. 

Tong is still only 23 years old, but he considerably struggled in the minors compared to past seasons, recording an underwhelming 4.54 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 23 Triple-A starts. 

This came on the heels of a 2025 season in which he dominated the minor leagues but hit a wall in the majors, posting a 7.71 ERA in his first five MLB starts. 

With the Mets out of contention, it would have been malpractice to keep trotting out 36-year-old journeyman Robert Stock every fifth day when they had a starter in Tong that the team could evaluate over the last month of the season. 

Fortunately, the team promoted Tong, and the timing was great. 

He looked to have found his stride over his last eleven starts in Syracuse, becoming more comfortable and confident while posting a 4-1 record, a 3.00 ERA, and 58 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched. 

On Monday, he made his first start of the season, and besides a rough second inning, Tong was very solid against the Marlins. 

His final stat line was five innings pitched, four hits allowed, four earned runs allowed, one walk, and seven strikeouts on 87 pitches. 

Most of that damage came in the second inning, where he gave up three of his four hits, all of his runs, and threw 34 pitches. 

The stat line isn’t too encouraging, but his resiliency and maturity after that blow-up inning should be.

In 2025, Tong struggled immensely with resiliency, as he quickly lost confidence in his pitches after giving up baserunners and getting into jams. 

This time around, he looked like a different pitcher, only giving up one more baserunner and striking out two more batters over his final three innings. 

The Mets’ offense also gave him a helping hand, as they practically blitzed Eury Perez by scoring seven runs on 10 hits and three walks. 

This led Tong to earn his second win of the season, and his first since May 27.

In the future, the team could be entering a crossroads with the prospect. 

If he performs solidly or dominates over his next few starts, the team might view him as another potential member of the 2027 starting rotation. 

It would certainly lessen the team’s need to strengthen their rotation, as a staff with Tong could be filled with players such as Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, and Sean Manaea. 

On the other hand, some struggles or rough outings could push David Stearns to ask himself the same question as he did for Kodai Senga: Is the bullpen a better place for Tong than the rotation? 

After some experimenting, it’s definitely worked for Senga, and it could work for Tong too. 

His fastball and change-up are both elite pitches, as he generated 16 whiffs and seven strikeouts on them in his recent start against the Marlins. 

Tong is definitely a rookie to watch over the next few weeks, as he still possesses high upside and could have a role on the Mets’ pitching staff (in some capacity) in 2027. 

Whether that role comes in the starting rotation or the bullpen, however, remains the biggest question the Mets will have to answer.