The New York Mets has had issues with the starting rotation in the second half of the season. Rookie pitcher Jonah Tong made his fifth career start for the Mets on Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs.
He struggled against the Cubs and gave up seven hits and five runs in two innings pitched in a 10-3 loss. Tong also walked two batters and struck out one batter. He was pulled during the third inning by manager Carlos Mendoza after not recording a single out. Could this be the last time this season that this rookie pitcher takes the mound until next season?
New York Mets Should Have Jonah Tong Start 2026 Season in Triple-A
Tong played in two games with the Syracuse Mets at the Triple-A level before being rushed into action in the MLB level. Well, it appeared as if David Stearns rushed his development and called him up too soon. He made the right move with Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat.
Those two players prove that they will be with this team for the long haul. As for Tong, he should not pitch for the rest of the season on the mound. He needs to go back to Syracuse for the start of the 2026 season and have him get more starts down there before he is ready to come up.
In five games with New York, he has a 2-3 record with a 7.71 ERA. In 18.2 innings pitched, Tong has given up 24 hits and 20 runs. He has also walked nine batters and has struck out 22 batters. He is only 22 years old.
If Kodai Senga, David Peterson, and Sean Manaea did not flame out in the second half of the season, this franchise would not have rushed him up to the MLB level. Hopefully, this is just a blip to start his MLB career. He has a lot of potential, but some fans are already worried that Stearns has ruined Tong. To gain his confidence back, they need to do what is right for the long-term and have him go back down to the minor leagues.
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