The New York Mets sent starter Jonah Tong to Syracuse for seasoning, and his first start showed he won't need a lot.
The competition for spots in the New York Mets is fierce, and it’s not just happening at Citi Field. Jonah Tong may be out of sight now that he’s been sent back to Syracuse for some seasoning, but in his season debut he provided a reminder of how good he could be with the Mets once he pulls all his pitches together and adds command.
Tong struck out 11 hitters in the Syracuse Mets win over Worcester at Polar Park in Massachusetts, where the name of the park also described the conditions, with game-time temps at just 42 degrees.
But that didn’t matter to Tong, who hit 96.9 mph while throwing four scoreless innings in Syracuse’s 3-1 win, although he did struggle with control a little as he ran his pitch count up to 73 with 42 strikes.
Tong, who is 22, needed just 39 pitches to complete his final three innings after throwing a 32-pitch first inning that likely kept him from going deeper into the game. He’s had considerably success while coming up, leading the minors in ERA at 1.43 and in strikeouts with 179.
While it’s probably safe to say that Tong doesn’t need a lot of time in the minors to get his repertoire and control squared away, he’ll still have a tough time getting back to Citi Field any time soon. The Mets added starter Freddy Peralta in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, and David Peterson pitched five shutout innings yesterday against the Pirates.
Starter Sean Manaea was demoted to the bullpen after Tong was reassigned to Syracuse, so he’ll probably be the first to join the rotation if anyone in the rotation falters.
That’s not to say that Tong couldn’t jump the line, however. The Mets are looking for him to add command and control, and to show the new and improved cutter he used effectively against Worcester. Tong allowed six runs in seven innings in spring training, but he also displayed an impressive 7/1 K/BB ratio, according to Michael Avallone of MLB.com.
One thing the Mets already know is that Tong can strikeout hitters at both levels. He was hit hard in two of his five starts with the Mts, but Tong also struck out 22 in 18-2/3 innings, including a season high of eight in a late-season game against the San Diego Padres. Tong knew he’d likely end up at Syracuse during spring training given the logjam of veteran pitchers in the back of the rotation, but he’s pitching like he doesn’t intend to stay there for long.