The Mets are heading into the 2026 season with a starting rotation that feels like a half-finished puzzle. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is clearly scouring the market for the missing pieces, having already met with free agent Framber Valdez and checked in on several other veteran arms.
The trade rumors are even louder, with whispers that the Mets may have launched a massive trade offer for Tarik Skubal or could pivot to reliable top-rotation targets like Joe Ryan or Freddy Peralta. But while acquiring a proven commodity is the safe play, the Mets’ ceiling this season might actually depend on a 22-year-old who took his lumps last year: Jonah Tong.
A Trial By Fire That Left Scars
Tong’s brief introduction to the majors in 2025 was, to put it mildly, a disaster on paper. When the Mets called him up out of desperation, he was thrown into the deep end and largely clobbered, posting a 7.71 ERA over 18.2 innings. He surrendered 1.45 home runs per nine innings and walked 4.34 batters per nine, looking every bit like a rookie overwhelmed by the moment.
However, if you look past the ugly ERA, the raw tools that made him a top prospect were still flashing. He struck out 10.61 batters per nine innings, proving that even when he was struggling, his stuff was nasty enough to miss big-league bats. The issue wasn’t talent; it was a lack of a complete arsenal to navigate a lineup three times, something the Mets are banking on him fixing this winter.
Developing a True “Out” Pitch
Last season, Tong leaned heavily on a fastball-curveball-changeup mix. His four-seamer is a legitimate weapon, featuring elite extension and “rise” that allows it to play at the top of the zone. But in the majors, you cannot survive on a fastball alone.
Recognizing this, Tong has spent the offseason trying to implement a slider to give him a true strikeout pitch that tunnels off his heater. If he can master that lateral movement, he transforms from a “thrower” into a “pitcher” capable of getting quick outs rather than laboring through long at-bats.
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A Data-Driven Offseason Approach
Tong isn’t running from his poor debut; he is using it as a blueprint. Speaking to the New York Daily News, the young right-hander sounded more like a veteran analyzing game tape than a shaken rookie.
“I think a big thing was just seeing good and bad, and then just going into regular offseason prep and realizing areas I need to improve,” Tong said. “It’s not as complicated as before, but it’s definitely my favorite part of the year. I just really like taking a deep dive and seeing everything because you get a really cool moment to reflect.”
This maturity is exactly why the Mets haven’t panicked and overspent on every available arm. While fans are wondering where the Mets currently stand on Tatsuya Imai days before the end of his posting window, the organization quietly believes Tong can be a massive part of the equation. If his offseason lab work translates to the mound, the Mets might find that their best “acquisition” was the kid they already had waiting in the wings.
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