The Mets are headed for a rotation puzzle after the trade deadline, and Jonah Tong looks like the name that could end up forcing the issue.
Once Aug. 3 passes, New York will have two openings in its starting staff. One of those spots is likely to go to Kodai Senga, even though his season has been a struggle. On Friday, the Mets went with him anyway after scratching Freddy Peralta because his market had picked up.
Senga’s final line did not tell the full story. He worked four scoreless innings on 33 pitches, struck out four and did not issue a walk.
Then the fifth inning unraveled. He walked the first two hitters he faced in the frame, and Jacob Marsee followed with a one-run double to end the outing.
That leaves the Mets searching for a second answer, and the list of realistic options is short. There is always the prospect path, but not many choices look ready to step in right now.
Jonathan Santucci has been excellent in the minors this season, but handing the 23-year-old major league starts just days after his move to Triple-A would be a big leap.
That points back to Tong, the Mets’ No. 1 prospect. The 23-year-old has gotten a taste of the majors, but never really a clean opportunity to settle in and show what he can do with less pressure on him.
His first shot in the big leagues came during the Mets’ playoff push, when the club was desperate for starting pitching and turned to three rookies who had never played at that level before. Tong’s results were rough: 2-3 across five starts with a 7.71 ERA.
New York gave him another look in 2026, this time out of the bullpen, and that stretch was more encouraging. He posted a 3.60 ERA in three relief appearances.
Even with that glimpse of promise, the Mets sent him back down to work on his walk issues. In 10 innings, Tong struck out seven and walked seven, a ratio that is hard to ignore in such a small sample.
At Triple-A, though, he has started to settle in. Over his last three outings, Tong has allowed three earned runs while striking out 18 and walking nine. For the season, he owns a 5.24 ERA in 18 starts, with 100 strikeouts and 48 walks.
His most recent start may have been his best of the year. Tong threw five scoreless innings, gave up two hits, struck out seven and walked two. With the Mets sitting in a spot where they are “playing for nothing,” as the source puts it, the case for giving the top prospect another major league chance is easy to see.
The organization’s bigger pitching question may be coming next offseason anyway. The Mets are expected to be in the market for starting pitching again, especially with Peralta not delivering top-end production. Tarik Skubal is the biggest name in free agency, but the question is whether David Stearns wants to commit to a long, expensive deal for a 30-year-old arm.
That is why now feels like the right time for the Mets to find out what they actually have. Zac Thornton has already shown he can handle a rotation role, posting a 2.43 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP over five starts.
For Stearns, giving Tong another chance to start could either answer the club’s biggest rotation question heading toward 2027 or make it clear the Mets will need to move some prospect depth to find a dependable solution.
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On the roster side, the Mets also made room by promoting Robert Stock and Bryce Conley while designating Kevin Herget and MJ Melendez for assignment. For a team trying to thread the needle between present depth and future value, these are the kinds of decisions that can reshape the bullpen and the organizational picture in a hurry, even if the final ripple from this purge is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]