Jonah Tong debuted Friday with an unorthodox delivery, a unique fastball that was near impossible for minor leaguers to hit and a diving changeup that has proven revelatory for his career.
Access the Mets beat like never before
Don’t miss Mike Puma’s text messages from Queens and beyond — he’s giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets.
Sign up NowNolan McLean’s calling card has been a remarkable ability to spin pitches, particularly breaking balls that have broken away from major league bats in three excellent starts. The next man up in Syracuse is Brandon Sproat, whose Triple-A season turned around when he decided to throw each pitch as hard as he could, a fastball that lives in the upper 90s blowing many away.
If this is the core of the future of the Mets rotation, it is diverse, which is a point of pride for the organization.
Nolan McLean of the New York Mets walks back to the dugout after ending the eighth inning when the New York Mets played the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY PostThe Mets’ development minds do not want to do one thing well. They want to do everything well, and believe they are on the right track.
