Jonah Tong optioned to Triple-A as Mets deal with starting rotation surplus in 2026

The New York Mets optioned pitching prospect Jonah Tong to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, a move that was pretty much expected from the moment camp opened.

Tong came into spring as the 7th or 8th arm on the starting rotation depth chart. That’s not a knock on him, that’s just the math. New York has a legitimate surplus of starting pitching this year, enough that they’re reportedly weighing a 6-man rotation if everyone stays healthy through the end of Grapefruit League play. There simply wasn’t a spot for him right now.

Jonah Tong’s 2025 in Context

The underlying concern with Tong isn’t talent, it’s sample size and what that sample showed. His MLB debut against the Marlins on August 28 was everything you’d want: 5 innings, 1 earned run, a win. Then the league caught up. He gave up 15 earned runs over his next 4 outings covering 13 2/3 innings, finishing his 5-start cameo with a 7.71 ERA.

What makes this more interesting is that Tong actually logged more innings at the big-league level last year (18 2/3) than he did in Triple-A (11 2/3). He was called up out of necessity, not because the development timeline said he was ready. Getting a full, healthy stretch in Syracuse is exactly what he needs.

He’s still the Mets’ No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline. The ceiling hasn’t changed. The timeline just needs some room to breathe.

The Rotation Picture Behind Him

The bottom of New York’s rotation is genuinely unsettled. Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean anchor the top of the staff, but Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and Kodai Senga each come with real questions attached. Manaea had a rough 2025. Senga has been on the injured list more than the mound since his rookie year. Peterson made the All-Star Game but faded down the stretch. Holmes is unproven as a full-time starter at this level.

That’s a lot of “maybes” behind 2 reliable arms, and the Mets know it. Tobias Myers, who came over from Milwaukee in the Peralta trade, is building up as a starter this spring but is expected to begin the year in the bullpen in a hybrid role. Christian Scott is healthy after missing all of 2025 recovering from elbow surgery, but needs innings to shake off the rust.

All 3 of those depth arms, Tong, Scott and Myers, will almost certainly start games for the Mets at some point this season. Last year, 17 different pitchers made at least 1 start for New York. That’s not an outlier anymore, that’s just how a 162-game season works. Tong heading to Syracuse isn’t a setback, it’s the first step in what figures to be a busy year for the guys waiting behind the rotation door.