At Port St. Lucie, Florida, Mets rookie Jonah Tong demonstrated his mettle against star hitter Juan Soto on Thursday, showcasing the growing promise in his pitching arsenal. In a display highlighting both skill and experimental approach, Tong recorded a strikeout on a deceptive changeup and later engaged Soto in a pitch judged by the newly tested automated strike zone system.
During the encounter, Tong successfully tricked Soto on a check swing, celebrating the strikeout enthusiastically. Later, with umpires employing the automated ball-strike system under observation, Tong delivered a live pitch aimed at the Human Strike Zone that Soto wisely ignored. The pitch was called a ball, and Tong reacted with a lighthearted admission about the challenge’s difficulty.
“As soon as I did it, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m never doing this again,’” the rookie said, laughing. “It was pretty much an inch off.”
Resilience and Growth Amid Early Career Challenges
Forced into the major leagues last season due to numerous Mets pitching injuries, 22-year-old Jonah Tong adapted rapidly to the heightened competition. His early performances were a mixture of promise and learning curves, but his persistent attitude has made a significant impression. Tong displays a rare combination of grit and fearlessness that allows him to rebound from setbacks without hesitation.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza praised Tong’s ability to adjust under pressure and learn from experience, noting the rookie’s swift acclimation to the intensity of a pennant race, where every pitch and routine carries immense weight.
“I think it was the second [actually third] outing where he didn’t make it out of the first inning, and [I was impressed by] his ability to bounce back,”
Mendoza said.
“He had a pretty good view of what it takes to be in a pennant race — the meaning of every pitch, every outing, and your routine in between outings, how guys will adjust to him . . . There was a lot to learn. We see it as a positive.”
Adding a Cutter to Expand Pitching Arsenal
Tong’s pitching style, reminiscent of Tim Lincecum with his over-the-top arm slot, primarily relied on a two-pitch combination in 2025: a fastball with notable vertical movement and a Vulcan grip changeup known for its sharp drop. Over the previous season, these two pitches accounted for nearly 85% of his offerings, supplemented by a modest number of curveballs and sliders.
Now, Tong is introducing a cutter, a pitch he has been refining for several years. The cutter offers less break but more velocity than a slider, making it a valuable new weapon to disrupt hitter timing and balance his pitch selection.
“It provides more diversity to his arsenal,”
Mets pitching coach Justin Willard told Newsday.
“It’s a little harder for hitters to game-plan for him, so I think it’s a huge addition . . . With Jonah specifically, there’s a willingness to experiment, the willingness to throw it as hard as he can and figure out what adjustments we need and go from there.”
Rapid Advancement Through the Minor Leagues
Jonah Tong’s career trajectory has been steep and impressive. Beginning in Low-A ball with Port St. Lucie in 2024, he quickly moved up to Double-A Binghamton in 2025 before making a critical impact during the Mets’ playoff run, all despite not being on the roster during the preceding spring training.
Willard underscored the focus of Tong’s development, emphasizing the importance of initiating at-bats with strike one to establish control of the game. The high arm slot delivery supports a north-south pitching strategy, relying on movement and control to dominate hitters.
“A lot of the conversation with Jonah [when it comes to taking the next step] is just go get strike one,”
Willard said.
“And then, really, he can play the north-south game”
because of his high arm slot.
“All of his pitches are going to move, right,”
Willard explained.
“But if we’re getting the changeup kind of down and it moves to the arm side, that’s a really good pitch. If we get the fastball up and it moves a little bit to the glove side, that’s still a really, really good pitch. It’s really about trying to get strike one and then dominate the north-south plane.”
Manager’s Optimism for a More Complete Starter
Carlos Mendoza expressed optimism about Tong’s growing pitch repertoire, especially as the rookie prepares to face major-league hitters multiple times within games. Mendoza highlighted the necessity of having more than three quality pitches to succeed consistently at the major league level.
“I’m encouraged by the cutter,”
Mendoza said.
“We all know that as a starter in this league, when you’re facing big-league hitters, not only one time but a second time, a third time, you’re going to need more than at least three quality pitches. He’s getting there. We all know the fastball, the changeup, the cutter and now the breaking ball — it just adds another weapon.”
Jonah Tong’s Ongoing Development and Determination
While the new cutter pitch has taken considerable time to solidify, Tong demonstrates a readiness to embrace the evolving challenges of professional pitching. He recalls the process of naming the pitch after experimenting with multiple shapes.
“It was always just bouncing between a few different shapes over the past couple of years,”
he said.
“And then last week, I was like, ‘Cutter? Slider? OK, cutter. Just call it a cutter.'”
“… It’s given me a new challenge.”
Throughout his short but eventful career with the Mets, Tong’s willingness to face challenges head-on has become a defining trait, enabling him to thrive amid pressure and expectations.
