The New York Mets have spent years quietly reshaping arms in their pitching lab, but Jonah Tong might be their greatest masterpiece.
Every start he makes feels like a glimpse into the future—one where strikeouts come in torrents and hitters are left hopelessly guessing.
The lab’s growing reputation
The Mets’ pitching lab is no longer a myth—it has become a symbol of consistency, improvement, and pitcher reinvention across baseball.
It helped Clay Holmes transition into a reliable starter, guided Tylor Megill toward his ceiling, and salvaged Griffin Canning’s career.
Max Kranick turned from afterthought to dependable reliever, while Nolan McLean emerged as a flame-throwing prospect already impacting big-league games.
But as impressive as those transformations have been, the lab’s most ambitious project yet is unfolding with Jonah Tong’s meteoric rise.
Jonah Tong’s dominance by the numbers
Per Metsmerized’s Matthew Brownstein, Tong is rewriting leaderboards in the minors with video-game numbers that barely seem believable.
Among 112 pitchers with 100+ innings pitched in the Minor Leagues this season, Jonah Tong ranks:
1st in ERA (1.50)
1st in K% (40.8)
1st in FIP (1.67)
1st in AVG against (.143)
2nd in WHIP (0.92)
2nd in SwStr% (16.8)
6th in GB% (54.1)@Metsmerized #Mets pic.twitter.com/l5BZ79oKCy— Mathew Brownstein (@MBrownstein89) August 18, 2025
Among pitchers with at least 100 innings, Tong ranks first in ERA, strikeout rate, FIP, and batting average against opposing hitters.
He also ranks second in WHIP, second in swinging-strike percentage, and remains among the top groundball generators in the minors.
This combination makes Tong more than just dominant—he’s versatile, unpredictable, and the exact type of weapon modern organizations desperately covet.
A Tim Lincecum comparison
MLB Pipeline has compared Jonah Tong to Tim Lincecum, citing his size, delivery, and deceptive fastball that overpowers hitters consistently.
His heater averages just 91–94 mph, but its vertical break makes it appear far nastier, exploding past bats late in the zone.
Tong’s curveball, dropping over 65 inches, is a cruel weapon he uses either to steal early strikes or finish hitters mercilessly.
Meanwhile, a Vulcan-grip changeup—recently tweaked in his grip—has become a legitimate swing-and-miss option against both righties and lefties.
That’s three unique pitches, each playing off the other, creating sequencing nightmares reminiscent of Lincecum during his Cy Young years.
Thriving on the big stage
Tong’s recent Triple-A debut was more than a test—it was a statement of intent, and the results did not disappoint Mets officials.
In 5.2 innings, he delivered nine strikeouts while allowing only three hits and two walks, showcasing elite command of his arsenal.
It was the type of performance that tells scouts he isn’t just a stat darling—he’s capable of thriving against advanced competition.
That outing cemented the belief that Tong isn’t just another name in the Mets’ system—he’s the arm being groomed for stardom.
The Mets’ next great weapon
With a 65-grade fastball and rapidly maturing secondaries, Jonah Tong is being polished for a major-league role as soon as 2026.
If Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat already have Mets fans excited, Tong could be the knockout punch the organization is saving.
His rise feels inevitable, the way a storm builds in the distance—unstoppable, powerful, and destined to make a dramatic entrance.
The Mets’ pitching lab has worked magic before, but in Jonah Tong, they may finally have created their ultimate showpiece.
READ MORE: Resurgent Mets star is named NL Player of the Week