Why Jonah Tong's September Performance Could Be Very Telling for Mets

The start of September means the end of the baseball season for the New York Mets, who are playing out the string in a lost year. The games themselves aren't completely meaningless, however, as young players like A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean are gaining valuable experience that could help them in the future.

One player awaiting his next opportunity is Jonah Tong, the team's top pitching prospect entering the season. Tong delivered so-so results during two previous big-league runs last September and this June, leading him to spend most of the year working on things down at Triple-A Syracuse.

The worm has started to turn for Tong in the minors as he has pitched quite well lately, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his last start and working to a 0.84 ERA in his past 21.2 innings pitched, a four-start span. The Mets appear ready to give Tong another look at the major league level as Mike Puma of the New York Post is reporting that Tong is set to be called up to pitch in their next road series in Miami early next week.

It's not shocking to see Tong get a call-up, but the fact that he waited so long for another look was a bit surprising. When the Mets moved on from Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta at the trade deadline, it felt like a return from Tong was imminent, but they opted for patience, using veteran Robert Stock to fill the rotation while Tong kept working on his new pitches in Syracuse.

Why Jonah Tong's September performance matters

The Mets have a lot of questions about their starting pitching entering the offseason and only two players they can really count on as sure things: McLean and Scott. Sean Manaea and Zac Thornton figure to be part of a competition for a rotation spot, but Tong has a higher ceiling than both of them based on his performance last season in the minors, when he led the entire minor leagues in strikeouts (179).

Calling up Tong next week should ensure he gets 3-4 starts to end the season, which is not a large sample size, but could see him face strong lineups from the Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals. If Tong establishes a strong baseline performance over the next month, he has an opportunity to grab the inside track on a rotation spot for next season.

On the other hand, a poor showing in the majors this month could inspire the Mets to go back to the drawing board with Tong's role. The recent success Kodai Senga has had after moving to the bullpen could portend a similar idea for Tong, who could potentially benefit from simplifying his pitch mix and letting it fly.

However, there is far more value in a starting pitcher than a reliever, so the Mets will be hoping Tong can solidify himself as a big-league option in the near future. While the comparisons to Tim Lincecum may have been a bit silly, Tong still can be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter if he improves his control.

Get Mets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google