NEW YORK — About four hours before Jonah Tong was set to make his Major League debut, a stadium worker stationed outside the Mets’ clubhouse busied himself by watching a television segment about the team’s newest pitcher. When the camera cut to a close-up of Tong’s face, the worker shook his head.
“He’s a freaking child,” he said of the Mets’ No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. “And they’re gonna put him on the bump tonight.”
To underestimate Tong based on his baby-faced appearance, of course, would be folly. Tong made it to Citi Field on Friday night for a reason. He blazed his path to Queens by leveraging his mid-90s fastball, a Vulcan changeup that’s become his best secondary pitch and an overhand curveball that he tends to locate where he wants.
With those weapons at his disposal, Tong kept the Marlins at arm’s length for most of his debut. Given the benefit of an early 12-run lead, Tong challenged Miami’s hitters. He recorded his first strikeout on a well-placed 12-6 curveball in the third inning, then froze another batter on a 96 mph heater. Tong fanned two more in the fourth and six in total, striking out his final batter on a 95.4 mph fastball that catcher Luis Torrens framed near the bottom of the zone.
And, thanks to New York’s offense giving him a double-digit lead to work with before the end of the second inning, Tong’s night came complete with his first big league victory in the Mets’ 19-9 win.
The Mets’ offense did everything possible to keep Tong’s debut stress-free, backing him on a two-run homer from Juan Soto, a three-run shot from Brandon Nimmo and a seven-run rally in the second. Their defense did him notably fewer favors, committing a pair of errors that led to three unearned runs in the fifth. But by that point, Tong had more than enough wiggle room to endure such troubles.
Along with his six strikeouts, Tong allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits while walking none over five innings.
