Mets Top Prospect Roughed up in Minor League Start

After an impressive season debut last week, Mets’ No. 2 prospect Jonah Tong struggled in his second Triple-A start.

Mar 3, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jonah Tong (21) delivers a pitch against Nicaragua during the first inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

After tossing four scoreless innings in last week’s Triple-A season opener, New York Mets prospect Jonah Tong was roughed up in his second start for Syracuse.

On Thursday afternoon, Tong lasted just 1.2 innings against the Toledo Mud Hens, an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The Mets’ No. 2 prospect allowed seven runs (four earned) on four hits, with three walks and two strikeouts, throwing 34 of his 60 pitches for strikes.

In the first inning, Tong issued a one-out double to Max Clark, MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 overall prospect, before walking the next two batters to load the bases. The 22-year-old right-hander nearly escaped the jam, but with two outs, big league veteran Corey Julks hit a bases-clearing double to make it 3-0.

Now that's how you start off a baseball game.
3-0 after 1
Bases clearing double by Julks, after a double by Clark, and two walks by Cruz and Jung! pic.twitter.com/Xwu6ZijKvp

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) April 2, 2026

A pair of fielding errors contributed to a four-run second inning for Toledo, highlighted by Wenceel Pérez’s two-run homer. Tong issued another walk and yielded a two-run double before exiting the game. His season ERA now sits at 6.35 through 5.2 innings.

Yep, that's gone pic.twitter.com/i6YSDtqIbL

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) April 2, 2026

In Tong’s previous outing, he topped out at 96.9 mph and generated 11 whiffs on 73 pitches. The right-hander issued consecutive walks in the opening frame but worked out of trouble before retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. He needed just 39 pitches to complete the final three frames after a 32-pitch first inning.

Control has been an issue at times for Tong, who rapidly ascended through the minor league ranks before joining the Mets’ rotation late last season. He issued nine walks over 18.2 MLB innings in 2025 and was hit hard at that level, finishing with a 7.71 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP.

Despite struggling in his brief big league stint, Tong was named MiLB’s Pitching Prospect of the Year last season. Over 113.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, he posted a 1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts, both of which led the minor leagues. He spent most of the year with Binghamton and entered 2026 with more MLB starts (5) than Triple-A starts (2).

The offseason addition of two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta to an already crowded Mets rotation made it easy for the club to send Tong back to Triple-A for more seasoning. There is a decent chance he returns to Queens at some point this season, but unless injuries force New York’s hand, there is little need to rush the right-hander’s development.

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