The New York Mets are again turning to a rookie pitcher in their pursuit of a playoff berth. Two weeks after promoting Nolan McLean to the majors, the Mets will start a different young right-hander on Friday night when Jonah Tong gets the call against the Miami Marlins.
Tong, 22, is a former seventh-round pick who has made just two starts in Triple-A this season in the wake of McLean’s promotion to The Show. Back in the spring, CBS Sports identified him as a minor-league breakout candidate. He’s since validated that assertion, compiling a 1.43 ERA and striking out more than 40% of the batters he faced in 22 starts split across the upper minors.
“This is fast,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said earlier this week. “There’s no question this is fast. He’s pushed us on this because of his performance. We think he’s ready for this. We also acknowledge that this has gone faster than any of us would have anticipated at the start of this year.”
Here’s what you need to know about Tong entering his big-league debut. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field and can be streamed live on Fubo (try for free).
1. Unusual delivery
Even if you aren’t overly familiar with Tong, you shouldn’t have much trouble identifying him from a distance once you get a few looks at his mechanics.
When the bases are empty, Tong employs a hybrid operation that sees him begin in a more traditional windup posture. He then moves to almost a rocker step, bringing his front foot closed and gathering before truly beginning his delivery. Think something along the lines of what David Price used to do. Tong then gets deep into his back hip. All of that, plus a high front side, gives him the appearance that he’s pitching uphill. From there, he drives far down the mound while manipulating his head and spine to create space for his arm to rip through.
Ball-tracking data helps contextualize Tong’s release point. Although he’s listed at 6-foot-1, his mechanics enable him to let loose of the ball more than 6 feet, 8 inches from the pitching rubber. Getting far down the slope also creates a sub-6 foot release height, resulting in an unusual visual.
So much of pitching is about creating odd angles that trick the opposition’s optical processing unit. Tong has that aspect, among others, working in his favor.
2. Dominant fastball
Tong isn’t just an illusions artist, however. He has a dynamic fastball that averaged 95.8 mph and topped out at 98 mph in his Triple-A appearances. The best quality of his heater is the natural rise he generates on the pitch: more than 18 inches of induced vertical break, to be specific.
For an idea of how unusual Tong’s combination of release metrics and fastball rise is, here’s a complete list of big-league right-handers (min. 50 batters faced this season) who meet the following criteria: at least 18 inches of IVB; no more than a 6-foot release height; and an extension point somewhere between 6 feet, 7 inches and 7 feet:
Deviating from the norm tends to be a good thing — be it in velocity, movement, or release point. Predictably, Tong has enjoyed a lot of success with his heater, generating a 41% whiff rate in Triple-A. While that’s a very small sample size, there’s every reason to believe that his fastball will continue to be a weapon based on his and the pitch’s innate traits.
3. Further refinement needed
The Mets may be hopeful that Tong can be as effective out of the gate as McLean has been, but be warned that there’s a real chance he experiences some growing pains until he makes more progress with his command and his arsenal depth.
Tong’s aforementioned mechanics often leave his arm down at foot strike. The upper-body manipulation also leaves him gazing toward the first-base dugout. That combination may limit his long-term command outlook. At minimum, it explains why he’s walked more than 10.6% of the batters he’s faced this season, or what would be the second-highest rate among qualified big-league starters, behind Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams.
How Tong deploys and locates his non-fastball pitches will be of interest, too — and could go a long way toward making him more efficient. He has three non-fastball offerings: a mid-80s changeup and slider, and an upper-70s curveball. The changeup was often elevated within the zone during his time in Triple-A, and both his breaking balls generated what would be subpar chase rates. (Bear in mind, again, the small sample nature of those observations.)
It speaks to Tong’s fastball quality and deception that the Mets feel comfortable deploying him in the thick of a playoff race. It’s not the end of civilization if he battles his consistency, either. He’s only 22 years old and, oftentimes, friction is the best teacher. There’s a real pathway toward him becoming a plus big-league starter, and that journey begins tonight.