Mets Are Giving Jonah Tong A Chance That Could Shape 2027

Jonah Tong is set for a pivotal return to the Mets' roster as he looks to solidify his place in the majors during the crucial final weeks of the season.

The Mets are turning to Jonah Tong again as they limp through the final stretch of a disappointing 2026 season.

Andy Green said Friday night that the right-hander is expected to be recalled and pitch Monday against the Miami Marlins. It will be Tong’s second major league stint of the year after he appeared in three games for New York earlier this season.

Tong, New York’s No. 5 prospect on MLB Pipeline, has spent most of 2026 working through an uneven Triple-A season with Syracuse. The 2022 seventh-round pick has put together 23 starts at that level, posting a 4.54 ERA while striking out 126 batters in 107 innings.

The numbers have moved around, but Tong is finishing strong. August was his best month of the season, as he turned in a 2.39 ERA across five Triple-A starts. He has now gone four straight outings without allowing more than one earned run, and in his last start on Aug. 29, he fired seven scoreless innings with just one hit and two walks allowed, plus eight strikeouts.

His big league work this year has been more limited, but not empty. Tong carries a 3.60 ERA in three appearances for the Mets in 2026, allowing four earned runs in 10 innings with seven strikeouts and seven walks. His first taste of the majors came last year, when he debuted and logged a 7.71 ERA over his first five starts.

For the Mets, the move gives a 23-year-old arm another chance to show what he can do. For fans, it’s a chance to see which version of Tong shows up in Miami.

In Other News...

Mets Face An Offseason Debate Fans Have Been Dreading

The Mets are heading into the offseason with the kind of roster questions that tend to linger well past the first winter meetings rumor. Chelsea Janes of SNY said the front office may not be inclined to make sweeping changes, even as fan frustration grows over a group that still feels incomplete. Instead, the conversation appears likely to center on a handful of young players and whether the club sees enough reason to keep everyone in the fold.

Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio were mentioned as possible non-tender candidates, while Brett Baty could get another year to sort things out. At the same time, moving veterans with bigger contracts is never simple, which leaves the Mets looking at a market that may require creativity more than splash. For a team trying to get better without tearing everything down, that can make for a tricky winter and an even trickier set of decisions. [Read more 🡒]

Mets Just Drew A Clear Line Around Lindor And One Teammate

David Stearns made one thing plain this week: Francisco Lindor is staying right where the Mets want him. The team president said there is no question Lindor will be the everyday shortstop next season, a statement that cuts off any trade speculation and underscores how central Lindor remains to the clubs plans.

Jorge Polanco, by contrast, was left in a far less certain spot. Stearns did not lock in a defensive role for Polanco, calling that part of his status to be determined, which leaves open a real question about how the Mets will use him after an injury-hampered 2026 season that limited both his time in the field and his offensive impact. [Read more 🡒]

Brett Baty Is Running Out Of Chances With The Mets

Brett Batys season has settled into the kind of uneasy middle ground that does little to clarify his place with the Mets. He has flashed enough at times to remind the club why his bat and defensive flexibility still matter, but the overall offensive production has been too uneven for him to lock down a true everyday role.

What makes Batys situation more complicated is that his versatility has not translated into stability, and the Mets have other players forcing their way into the lineup. There have been signs of improvement lately, which at least keeps the conversation open, but the bigger question is whether those gains arrive soon enough to secure him a meaningful spot in the clubs plans. [Read more 🡒]