​The 2026 season has been a disaster for the New York Mets, marked by a spate of injuries and underwhelming performances from their high-profile offseason additions. With a summer of struggles and little sign of a quick turnaround, the natural question for Mets fans and observers has been whether the team might pivot toward selling at the August 3 MLB trade deadline. While veteran pieces could be moved to shed payroll or rebuild for the future, the fate of their top pitching prospect, Jonah Tong, drew particular interest.
According to Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mets appear unlikely to part with Tong this summer. Despite a rough performance in 2026, the organization has reportedly decided to back Tong and keep him in their long-term plans. “But despite a subpar season in Triple-A, the Mets are still holding starter Jonah Tong in high regard,” the writers noted. They added that even though other teams’ executives suggested Tong could fetch a substantial return if put on the market, New York’s evaluators simply value him too highly to move him now, making any trade seem unlikely.
There hasn’t been a ton of buzz around Tong as a potential trade piece this season, especially given the Mets’ struggles. Still, it wouldn’t have been shocking if they had moved their top pitching prospect to land a longer-term investment. But the latest update signals a different course. The Mets are prepared to retain Tong and remain confident that he can develop into a durable, effective starting pitcher in the future.
This season, Tong has logged 10 innings across three MLB appearances, posting a 3.60 ERA. However, his Triple-A numbers tell a different story, with a 5.90 ERA across 14 starts. In the majors, he has pitched primarily as a reliever, which aligns with the Mets’ desire for him as a potential starter in the future. Last year’s performance also adds context: Tong posted a 1.43 ERA in 22 minor-league starts, while his initial MLB stint in five starts yielded a rough 7.71 ERA over 18.2 innings.
Trading Tong this summer would have been a notable surprise, and while it remains within the realm of possibility if a team presented a transformative package, the current reality is that the Mets appear dedicated to Tong. As of now, the 23-year-old right-hander remains in New York’s plans, with the organization convinced he can develop into a quality major-league starter despite a challenging 2026 season.
For Mets policymakers, the decision to stand by Tong signals a broader strategy: invest in potential talent within the organization even as the team contends with a disappointing year, rather than cashing in on a prospect who might someday anchor a rotation. Whether this stance will pay off remains to be seen, but the Mets’ confidence in Tong is evident in the way they’ve framed his future and signaled that they’re not inclined to cash him in for a one-year fix at the trade deadline.