Mets’ Critics Shown Harsh Reality After Jonah Tong Call-Up Sparks Doubts on Carlos Mendoza

On a humid August evening, Mets fans weren’t glued to the box score; they were glued to their timelines. The whispers about Jonah Tong had been simmering for weeks, each start at Syracuse treated like evidence in a trial. Two scoreless outings in Triple-A only fueled the noise. By the time the Mets finally made the call, speculation had already spun into overdrive: had the front office deliberately stalled his arrival to manipulate service time, or was Carlos Mendoza too cautious to unleash one of the organization’s most electric arms?

Mets fans saw Tong’s 2.37 ERA across the minors this year and wondered what more he had to prove. His strikeout numbers were pretty eye-catching. 116 in 91 innings, that’s the sort of thing that tends to get noticed. With the starting pitchers getting hurt left and right, it seemed weird that he was still in Triple A after a couple of starts. The whole thing felt like a deliberate decision, like they were trying to make a point by keeping him down there for so long.

Then the news finally broke: Jonah Tong was headed to Queens. At just 22 years old, the Canadian right-hander had forced his way into the Mets’ plans, albeit not without drama. The promotion wasn’t a long-term service-time chess move, as Jon Heyman flatly reminded critics; it was a matter of readiness. Two starts at Triple-A hardly scream “finished product,” and the Mets wanted to see Tong’s high-octane fastball and improving changeup survive at least a brief test before dropping him into the cauldron of a playoff chase.

Still, the doubts around Mendoza remain stubborn. His bullpen decisions have already drawn heavy fire, overworking Reed Garrett in July, for instance, or yanking José Butto too early in a critical series against the Braves. Fans now wonder if that same hesitation, or overcorrection, will apply to Tong. Will the manager ride the rookie’s arm too hard out of desperation, or ease him in so gently that his impact barely registers?

The truth, as ever in Queens, lies in the performance. If Tong flashes the strikeout stuff that shredded Double-A lineups earlier this summer, the criticism of his timing will fade into the background. And if Mendoza can balance development with urgency, he may rewrite the narrative that has cast him as indecisive.

For now, Mets fans are left with a reality check: Jonah Tong wasn’t hidden; he was being groomed. The real test begins not in Triple-A, not in rumors, but under the Citi Field lights.

Mets rewrite record books at Citi Field

Citi Field shook like never before on Friday night, as the Mets ripped through the Marlins in a 19–9 rout that etched itself into franchise history. Nineteen runs marked the most ever scored by the Mets in a home game across 64 seasons, while their 12-run outburst in the first two innings set another all-time record. Brandon Nimmo homered twice, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso each joined the long-ball parade, and by the time Eury Pérez trudged off in the first inning, the sellout crowd was buzzing at a level rarely seen in Queens. “This atmosphere and this environment is a lot of fun,” Nimmo said. “It’s just refreshing.”

The fireworks weren’t limited to the lineup. Jonah Tong’s major league debut turned into a test of patience and grit, yet he handled it with the calm of a veteran; over five determined innings, he struck out six, walked none, and managed to stay sharp despite twice sitting nearly half an hour between frames while his teammates piled on runs, returning each time with a fastball that touched 97, a changeup that kept hitters guessing, and a curveball that flashed as a true third weapon, proof not just of his stuff, but of the poise and resilience that made the night feel bigger than a box score.

“Everything got a blur after [the fifth-inning strikeout],” Tong admitted. “I couldn’t really feel my feet.” For a 22-year-old who began the year in Double-A, the night was more than just historic; it was transformative.

Just weeks ago, the Mets’ rotation looked threadbare. Now, with Tong joining fellow rookie Nolan McLean, who also won his debut earlier this month, the outlook has shifted dramatically.

The franchise had never before seen two rookie starters earn victories in their first outings in the same season, let alone in the same fortnight. Manager Carlos Mendoza called it “insane,” while acknowledging the challenge of balancing development with a September push.

What once felt like a fading season suddenly carries a new storyline: two precocious arms giving the Mets not only immediate wins but the kind of upside that could ripple into October.