TheNew York Mets are obligated to have a strong season after the resounding failure they experienced in 2025, and having a starting rotation that performs at a high level will be key to achieving that goal in the upcoming 2026 MLB season.
Under this scenario, Carlos Mendoza must assemble a solid order with his Mets pitching staff, even if it means sacrificing one of the organization’s top pitching prospects.
Jonah Tong becomes the big sacrifice
Young pitcher Jonah Tong will be sent to the minor leagues, while the New York Mets rely on their new acquisition Freddy Peralta as well as Nolan McLean in the Mets rotation. The group is expected to be rounded out by Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson.
Patience will be required with Jonah Tong, considering he posted a 7.71 ERA across five starts with the Mets during the 2025 MLB season. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza himself addressed the situation.
“He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do here. Just go down there and continue to develop and work on some things that you need to work on,” Carlos Mendoza said about Jonah Tong, according to a March 10 report from Mike Puma of The New York Post.
“We were pretty honest with [Tong] from the very beginning, understanding that injuries happen throughout camp,” Mendoza explained. “But the most likely outcome was he was probably going to start the year at Triple-A. But having that relationship with him now is more like some of the things he needs to work on.”
It remains very likely that Jonah Tong could return to the MLB if one of the main Mets starting pitchers suffers an injury – something that often happens during a long Major League Baseball season. For now, however, the organization believes patience is necessary with the 22-year-old pitching prospect.
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