Electrifying starter Jonah Tong among Mets prospects promoted to Triple A: Sources
The New York Mets are promoting Jonah Tong, widely considered their best pitching prospect, along with top position player prospects Carson Benge, Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford to Triple-A Syracuse, league sources told The Athletic.
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Tong, 22, turned heads with ridiculous numbers at Double A, his lone level this season. In 97 innings (19 starts), ahead of his last outing on Sunday, Tong had a 1.58 ERA with a whopping 154 strikeouts (44 walks). Tong started to gain attention last year when he produced a 3.03 ERA with 160 strikeouts (47 walks) in 113 innings across three levels, including a final stint at Double A.
Tong earned a trip to the All-Star Futures Game last month. Afterward, he cracked The Athletic's Keith Law midseason top-60 prospects list at No. 52, behind Williams (18) and Benge (30). Similarly, MLB Pipeline ranked Tong as the Mets' second-best prospect behind Williams and ahead of fellow pitchers Nolan McLean (third) and Brandon Sproat (fifth).
At Triple A, Tong will join a rotation that includes McLean and Sproat. The Mets do not have plans to call up either McLean or Sproat, though that may change before the end of the season. McLean has mostly pitched well all season. After a tough start to the season, Sproat bounced back with a strong recent run of starts. At this point, club officials view both right-handers as major-league depth. Out of the trio, Tong may hold the highest upside. Listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, he throws a lively fastball in the upper 90s with a big curveball and changeup.
Benge, who has played all three outfield positions and mostly center field, made the All-Star Futures Game last month, too. The Mets' top pick from the 2024 amateur draft (19th overall), Benge has soared through the farm system in his first full year. Last year, he had a .857 OPS in 69 plate appearances with Single-A St. Lucie. Across High-A Brooklyn and Double A this season, Benge, 22, posted a .936 OPS heading into Sunday's game.
This marks Williams' second stint in Triple A. He ended last season with Syracuse after missing most of the year because of a wrist injury. While appearing in games at center field, shortstop and second base, Williams bounced back in a big way in 2025. Through Saturday, he was slashing .284/.394/.483 with 10 home runs and 32 stolen bases in 417 plate appearances. MLB Pipeline ranks Williams as the Mets' top prospect.
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Clifford ranks as the Mets' No. 7 prospect, behind infielder Jacob Reimer. While the Mets drafted Tong, Benge and Williams, they acquired Clifford — and Drew Gilbert, whom they flipped to the San Francisco Giants at this year's trade deadline — in a trade for Justin Verlander in 2023. At the time, some scouts suggested Clifford was the better of the two prospects because of his power, even though he was ranked lower in some prospect publications. Clifford, who plays first base and the corner outfield spots, hit 24 home runs in 433 plate appearances with Binghamton heading into Sunday.
(Top photo of Jonah Tong: Brett Davis / Imagn Images)
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