Mets Pitching Prospect Opens Up About Facing Off Against Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom

The Texas Rangers have one of the most dominant pitchers in recent memory on their roster, and a top MLB prospect discussed his chance to face off against him.

Sep 17, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have plenty of work to do to put themselves back in postseason contention, especially in the American League, but the positive is that their starting pitching unit is already quite close to complete. With Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi at the top of the group, they have two elite arms to build around for the foreseeable future, both of whom had very strong 2025 campaigns.

deGrom has continued to try to work back from his previous injuries, and 2025 was his chance to really break out once again, which he did. It was noticed by fans and media alike, but in a recent interview, one of the top pitching prospects in the MLB also noted his respect for the veteran ace as well.

In an interview with MLB analyst Rob Friedman, New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong discussed a wide variety of topics, including his start against deGrom in September and how he felt going up against such a widely respected pitcher. Tong had nothing but praise for deGrom and spoke very highly of his career.

What Did Pitching Prospect Jonah Tong Have to Say About Facing Degrom?

Matt Marton-Imagn Images

In the interview linked above, Tong specifically discussed deGrom and his start on September 12 this past season. He was quoted as saying the following about the experience and how he felt seeing him on the mound in person:

"Obviously, the start didn't go how I wanted it to, but watching him throw, in the best seat of the house, was crazy. It's hard being like...the competitor in me wanted to still be out there, but the fan in me was like 'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I'm witnessing probably one of these rare moments in history, that like...I'm going to talk to my kids about this guy, and my kids are going to talk about'...like, he has such an impact on baseball, and how we know it today, that you take the time to look at that."

Jonah Tong discussing what it was like facing off against Jacob deGrom:

"It's Jacob deGrom. Holy Crap." 🤣

Full Interview is here: https://t.co/Y6mKImSJkm pic.twitter.com/uPipeGSH10

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) December 22, 2025

Tong had a difficult start in that game, only getting through two batters before being pulled after giving up six earned runs. On the other side, deGrom had a pretty respectable appearance, going seven innings and allowing three earned runs with two strikeouts.

It is a positive to see the younger generation of pitchers coming through, still having the utmost respect for the veterans, especially when factoring in deGrom and his recent buildup back to being an elite arm. While the two likely won't face off all that often, given they play in the league opposite each other, it is fun to see them having already had the chance once.

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