Carlos Mendoza Sends Bitter Wake-Up Call to Humbled Rookie as Mets Confront Distressing Crisis

It’s only the first week of September, and the names that were once set for October glory from the NL division are now wobbling. First, the Dodgers lost to the Orioles, and now the Mets have lost to the Reds on Saturday. Two ballclubs, one common issue: bad pitching. Queens manager Carlos Mendoza was straightforward with his rookie; he made it clear that even the smallest mistakes cannot go unnoticed at the majors.

In just his second start in the major leagues, 22-year-old righty Jonah Tong pitched against Cincinnati and didn’t do well. Saturday’s game ended in a 6-3 loss because he let up three home runs—two to Sal Stewart and one to Matt McLain—all fastballs. He did get through six innings, strike out six batters, and threw a fastball that reached 98.4 mph, which were little silver linings in the storm. But those three homers didn’t go unnoticed by the CitiField.

In the postgame interview with SNY, when asked about the Tong performance, Carlos Mendoza didn’t hold back. The skipper gave a reality check of playing in the majors, as he said, “He gets away with those pitches at the minor league level….Here, you’re facing a lot better competition.”

Then came the advice on how to improve. Mendoza said, “But I think he made a good adjustment in recognizing that, and now the curveball, like I said, is a pitch that he could start using a lot more but yeah, there’s a difference between here and the minor leagues,”

During the initial part of the interview, he also noted that even after giving up three homers, Tong remained resilient under pressure. “On an outing where like, hey, three homers, but like I said, he kept competing, kept pitching, keep making pitches, find some adjustment there with the curveball and was able to give us six innings.” Mendoza’s point was clear: September isn’t about surviving outings; it’s about stopping damage. Every wrong fastball now puts the Mets’ shaky postseason aspirations in danger.

And Mendoza’s advice? It was simple: use the curveball more. Tong’s fastball helped him do well in the minors, where he pitched 113 2/3 innings and gave up only two home runs. But the majors are far less forgiving. Big-league hitters don’t miss high fastballs, and what used to be a weapon could now be a problem. The curveball gives him more options and makes him harder to hit, which is what he needs to beat sharper, more disciplined lineups.

Jonah himself summed it up without excuses: “Nothing changes… It’s just execution on my end,” he said of the step-up in competition.

The Mets’ playoff chances now hinge on a rotation mainly made up of rookies. They’re going with arms like Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong. These “young guns” offer raw talent and excitement but come with risks due to their lack of big-league experience. One bad play and it could shrink their chances of making it to the playoffs. Interestingly, as per the reports, they have decided to go with yet another pitching prospect.

From minors to must-wins: Brandon Sproat joins Mets’ rookie rotation gamble

The Mets are in a tough spot, and instead of relying on their experienced veterans, they’re taking a chance on rookies. Jonah Tong just got his wake-up call against Cincinnati. Nolan McLean has been added to the team, and now Brandon Sproat is going to make his big-league debut against the Reds on Sunday. That’s three new players in less than a month, and now they all have to deal with the pressure of the playoffs.

Sproat’s journey here has been a narrative in and of itself. The Mets picked him twice: once in 2022, when he didn’t sign, and again in 2023, when he was the 56th overall pick. After his time with the Florida Gators, he ultimately joined the team. At the start of 2024, he wasn’t very good in the minors, and his ERA was uncomfortably high. But something clicked over the summer: since June 28, Sproat has pitched 59 innings and struck out 70 batters, giving him a 2.44 ERA. The Mets had to act because of that change.

Now, the right-hander will face the Reds on Sunday with a fastball that hits the upper 90s and a sharper set of tools. He struck out 113 batters in 121 innings at Triple-A Syracuse, which shows he can take a lot of work. The question is: can that form work right away at Citi Field?

The risk is clear. Although this isn’t typical for a postseason chase, the Mets are facing it. Brendon Sproat‘s debut is a crucial test to see if the young arms can keep the rotation steady through September. And if not, then what’s next in Mendoza’s strategic plan?