Jonah Tong's cards soar ahead of Major League Debut
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Two weeks after the promotion of pitching prospect Nolan McLean, the Mets have brought up another young star on the mound in the Minor Leagues. On Tuesday, the Mets announced that they were promoting Jonah Tong to the Mets and will make his Major League debut on Friday.
This season, Tong has been sensational in the Minor Leagues. In 22 starts across Double-A and Triple-A, the right-hander pitched to a 1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts over 113.2 innings. His play over the course of the season has seen him skyrocket up prospect rankings while his cards have done the same.
The Mets are calling up pitching prospect Jonah Tong, per multiple reports.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 26, 2025
Tong has a 1.43 ERA in 22 starts in the minors this season. pic.twitter.com/UqnVaRJ8cR
With his "1st Bowman" coming in the 2025 release of Bowman in May, Tong was an under-the-radar card while players such as Jesus Made, Luis Pena, Charlie Condon and JJ Wetherholt stole the spotlight.
The first sale of one of Tong's "1st Bowman" base autographs came on May 23, two weeks after the release of the product. The card sold for $40, with a green refractor numbered to 99 selling for $130 around the same time.
As Tong progressed through the season, the buzz began to generate around his play. At the halfway point of the season, Tong was in Atlanta to represent the Mets the MLB Futures Game which is reserved for the top prospects in the game. The game in Mid-July coincided with the start of a rise in his prices. The same "1st Bowman" base autographs selling for $40 two months prior had doubled in price, with sold listings ranging between $70-90. Around the same time, a gold autograph numbered to 50 in a PSA 9 sold for $520 according to eBay.
Tong's performances post-All Star break were seemingly just as strong as before the midpoint of the year. Now, the buzz was beginning to start regarding whether or not he'd be promoted to help the Mets this season. While the chatter was getting louder, his card market exploded through the roof, seeing his base autographs sell for $200 and a base autograph in a PSA 10 going for $475. Finally the news came down that Tong would be coming up and pitching for New York.
Outside of Red Sox pitching prospect Payton Tolle, no pitcher has risen in popularity in the card market more than Tong. With his big league debut set for later this week, it remains to be seen what his market will look like as the Mets aim for a playoff push with September on the horizon.
Dan Gardella is a Red Sox fan and collector growing up in Yankee territory in Connecticut. While only reviving his love for the hobby a few years ago, he provides knowledge into baseball cards from prospects to the big leagues.
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