Mets' prospect Jonah Tong shows stuff at Futures Game

Automated narration.

By David Lennondave.lennon@newsday.com DPLennonUpdated July 12, 2025

ATLANTA -- For Jonah Tong, the Mets’ No. 2 prospect who currently resides at Double-A Binghamton, it wasn’t enough to just talk about the dazzling new pitch that’s helped him rack up 125 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings this season.

So before Saturday’s MLB Futures Game at Truist Park, won by the National League, 4-2, Tong reached inside a duffel bag stowed in his locker and pulled out a baseball. Using a grip that split his two middle fingers wide, bringing to mind Spock’s “Live Long and Prosper” salute from Star Trek lore, Tong displayed the pitch that’s baffling the minor leagues -- and could one day propel him to Flushing.

Voila, the Vulcan changeup. Tong said he first got the idea from an instagram post, then essentially did some beta testing on it with the Mets’ development staff, including the club’s vice president of pitching Eric Jagers, who suggested holding the grip on the horseshoe part of the stitching.

But the final test? Going back home to Ontario last winter and firing a few to Tong’s favorite bullpen catcher, his dad, Alex.

“My dad was like, whoa, that one was a little bit different,” Tong said with a bright smile. “Then we got some technology on it and saw the difference in the shape.”

Tong’s over-the-top delivery has drawn comparisons to two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, as well as his 6-1, 180-pound frame (The Giants’ former freak was 5-11, 170). It’s also made for more movement on his mid-90s fastball, and the whole package has transformed the seventh-round draft pick (2022) into one of the most highly-anticipated prospects in the organization.

For good reason. Tong has a 1.83 ERA in 15 starts for the Rumble Ponies, with a 0.928 WHIP and a 14.3 K/9 rate. On Saturday, Tong fired a perfect second inning, whiffing the Mariners’ former first-round pick Harry Ford with a 77-mph curve ball for his lone strikeout. He threw nine fastballs -- max 97.4 mph, average 96.1 -- while mixing in a half-dozen curves, three changeups and one slider.

“I feel like adrenaline is going to kick in -- it was a little hot early,” Tong said of his velocity. “But I’ve also been at that point in the season, too.”

Ask him what’s behind his remarkable success, and Tong points to his head rather than his arm. He has the Bruce Lee quote, “Be Like Water” stitched onto all his gloves, reminding him to be adaptable to any situation. As for the hype now swirling around him -- including the inevitable DMs streaming in from Mets’ fans -- Tong keeps his focus squarely on the mound.

“I try to catch myself," said Tong, who just turned 22 last month. “Because my entire goal this year was just, be where my feet are. I think that when you start looking ahead to the future, it’s awesome. But I can’t really control that, right? So the big thing is just being in the moment, being present, and I think everything else will take care of itself.”

Tong was joined at the Futures Game by Binghamton teammate Carson Benge, who has been raking since his promotion three weeks ago. The 22-year-old centerfielder, listed as the Mets’ No. 3 prospect, is hitting .302 with two homers and a .956 OPS in his first 13 games for the Rumble Ponies. He’s glad none of his recent at-bats have come against Tong (not since going 1-for-2 with a strikeout against him in spring training).

“He’s always on the iPad looking at pitches,” Benge said. “Whenever someone comes in, he’s always giving them high-fives. He’s a really good teammate.”

After a moment, Benge adds, “Facing him is not very fun.”

Still, Benge’s plate discipline gives him the ability to make a pitcher’s life miserable, too. In 73 games this season, split between Binghamton and High-A Brooklyn, Benge’s walks (52) and strikeouts (58) are nearly equal.

“I always try and keep the walks and strikeouts as close as I can together,” said Benge, who flied out to leftfield Saturday in his only at-bat.. “I feel like that’s a good recipe for success.”