The New York Mets promoted right-hander Jonah Tong to the main roster ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field. The No. 5-ranked prospect in the club’s farm system is making his much-anticipated return to the majors after struggling in his first go-around. Still, he has sharpened his skills during a successful stretch with Triple-A Syracuse.
“Failure is inevitable. Everyone hits it at different points in their career. I wouldn’t even call it that, but there’s so many things that we have control over in our careers and sometimes there’s instances that need to be learned. I’m really excited to see the person I’ve become out of it,” Tong said during a pregame interview.
“I’m the same kid [that] I was last year as I am this year. I think the only difference is, I have a boatload of experience [that] I didn’t have last year,” he added. “I’m excited for the opportunity. I’m excited to play behind these guys, or I guess, in the middle of it.”
Jonah Tong Promoted
When Tong made his major league debut during the tail end of last season, there were some positive and negative outcomes. In five appearances, he went 2-3 with 22 strikeouts. However, in those outings he surrendered 24 hits, 16 earned runs, three home runs, and allowed nine walks. He had a 7.71 ERA and a -0.8 WAR.
After spending the offseason with Triple-A Syracuse, the Mets promoted Jonah Tong in June. While facing the Seattle Mariners on June 2, the 23-year-old righty gave up five hits, four earned runs, two walks and a home run. He recorded four strikeouts, but ended with a 3.60 ERA.
Since that instance, Jonah Tong has grown during his return to Triple-A Syracuse. Most notably, he went 5-6 with a 4.54 ERA and 126 strikeouts. In 23 appearances, he surrendered 88 hits, 54 earned runs, 22 home runs and 59 walks. Although his numbers aren’t picture perfect, he has done enough to impress the Mets and earn opportunities on the mound.
“I’m excited to see it. I had a really good conversation with Jonah a minute ago. It’s great to see him again and he’s had a good run here recently. We want to see him build on it. We’re all excited to see it. We’ll continue to hand him the ball throughout the rest of the year. We’re not going to make a secret of that,” interim manager Andy Green said.
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