Tong makes his much-heralded Mets debut

After pitching for two scoreless wins in Triple-A Syracuse, 2024 Brooklyn Cyclone Jonah Tong proved that he was ready to be called up to Flushing to help the Mets’ beleaguered starting pitching staff.

After representing New York in the mid-season minor league All-Star Futures Game, and now leading all of the minor leagues with 179 strikeouts, the time had come to add the 22-year-old Canadian to the Mets’ roster.

Over this season between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, Tong distinguished himself on the mound with a pitching line of 10-5 in 22 starts with a 1.43 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in 113.2 innings while throwing a league-leading 179 strikeouts. Featuring an over-the-top and a long-striding Tim Lincecum-like delivery, Tong has developed an effective curveball and a 97 mph fastball that placed him as the number 2 prospect in the Mets’ farm system. 

After fellow 2024 Cyclone Nolan McLean won his first three starts, fans flocked to Citi Field to see if the “Canadian Cannon” would join McLean for his own debut win. In front of a sold-out crowd, the Mets made Tong’s debut less stressful as New York scored a 19-9 victory over the Miami Marlins for his first major league win. In the fifth inning Tong left the game to qualify for the win with six strikeouts, throwing 63 of his 97 pitches for strikes.

Incidentally, Tong and McLean set a new Mets pitching record as both rookies were the first pair to win their debut games in one season.

“Everything I ever dreamed of unfolded here tonight,” Tong said. “I can’t complain about the run support that I got and the fans were just amazing.”

When informed that he’d be joining the rotation for his next start, Tong replied with one of his signature phrases: “Sweet!”