The New York Mets promoted 22-year-old pitching prospect Jonah Tong to the major leagues Tuesday, with manager Carlos Mendoza announcing the right-hander will make his debut Friday against the Miami Marlins.
Tong earned the promotion after dominating minor league competition with a 10-5 record and 1.43 ERA across 113⅔ innings in 22 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season. The Canadian ranked No. 21 among all prospects in ESPN\'s latest rankings.
\"I think it\'s all about dominating the minors,\" Mendoza said. \"It\'s hard to keep him there.\"
The accelerated timeline surprised even team executives. President of baseball operations David Stearns acknowledged the promotion came faster than anticipated but credited Tong\'s exceptional performance.
\"This is fast. There\'s no question this is fast,\" Stearns said. \"He\'s pushed us on this because of his performance. We think he\'s ready for this.\"
Tong leads all 196 qualified minor league pitchers in ERA, FIP (1.66), batting average against (.148), and strikeout rate (40.5%) this season. He has recorded 179 strikeouts while allowing just two home runs.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound pitcher features a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph and added an effective changeup this year. His improvement against left-handed hitting prompted comparisons to former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.
The Mets chose Tong over fellow Triple-A prospect Brandon Sproat partly due to timing, as Tong remains on regular rest after his Saturday start. The promotion addresses ongoing struggles from veteran starter Kodai Senga, who owns a 5.40 ERA since returning from injury.
\"Performance matters,\" Mendoza said. \"We\'re to a point now where we got to see performance.\"
The Mets entered Tuesday holding a 2½-game lead over Cincinnati for the final National League wild card spot.