​Despite struggling in Triple-A and delivering uneven results in his early big-league chances, a new report indicates the New York Mets remain steadfast in their stance not to trade stud prospect Jonah Tong. Last year marked a significant step forward for the 2022 seventh-round pick, who began the season in Double-A and quickly rose to prominence. He finished the year with an 8-5 record, a 1.59 ERA, and 162 strikeouts across 102.0 innings, prompting him to vault up MLB prospect rankings and earn a promotion to Triple-A in the latter half of the season. In his two starts at that level, Tong continued to excel, throwing zero earned runs, winning both starts, and fanning 17 over 11.2 innings.
When the Mets found themselves in need of starting pitching late in the season, Tong was brought up to the majors and delivered more modest results. Across five starts, he went 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA, a stark contrast to his minor-league dominance. Since his major-league promotion, Tong has not resembled the same pitcher. He received another MLB audition earlier this season due to injuries and posted a mixed line, going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and seven strikeouts over 10 innings. Yet his performance in Triple-A deteriorated again, painting a troubling picture.
In Syracuse this season, Tong has appeared 14 times, posting a 1-5 record with a 5.90 ERA and walking 36 over 61.0 innings. It appears the right-hander may be struggling to regain his form, and the Mets have seemed uncertain about how to fix him. However, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon report that Tong still holds considerable value within league circles, though the Mets remain reluctant to part with him. “While executives from different teams suggested the Mets would attract suitors if they put Tong on the market, New York likes him too much to do so, which makes any trade seemingly unlikely.”
Given the Mets’ recent history with veteran-pitcher acquisitions not paying off, it’s understandable why they’d hesitate to dismantle a promising young arm. Yet Tong’s performance over the past year has been uneven at best, raising questions about whether 2025’s dominance was an outlier or a signal of genuine potential at the major-league level. That tension makes the idea of listening to trade offers all the more surprising to some observers.
Still, interested clubs may not be willing to meet the Mets’ price. “Another team would have to value Tong as a top-50 prospect and offer players New York loves,” Rosenthal and Sammon report. In other words, the market would need to present a package that justifies parting with a pitcher who remains highly regarded within the industry, even if his recent results have been problematic.