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Even if the New York Mets are unable to get out of spring training fully healthy, there are certain players who’ll begin the year in the minors. They’ve been purposeful with promotions. Nolan McLean already has a roster spot locked up with Carson Benge pushing for one if he can have a hot spring.
Meanwhile, a whole bunch of farmhands will report to Syracuse with one goal in mind: giving the Mets no choice. These five are bound for a minor league assignment. It doesn’t mean their impact on the 2026 season will be minimal.
1) Jonah Tong
Jonah Tong needs innings in Triple-A. It doesn’t need to take a whole lot of starts. However, after getting rushed to the majors, it was clear he had work to do.
Popular on the trade block this offseason, the Mets fought off every trade offer for him. They did deal Brandon Sproat, choosing the higher ceiling/lower floor abilities many believe Tong has in his arsenal.
Tong’s minor league dominance puts him right there on the map for an early-season promotion for something as little as a spot start to taking over for an injured player. Out of camp, there’s no reason to rush him. The Mets already have six starting pitchers on the 26-man roster. They have Tobias Myers capable of sliding in there. I’d suspect it would take three starting pitcher injuries for the Mets to even consider him for the Opening Day roster. Based on the way they’ve operated, we’re more likely to see them add a guy on waivers or sign someone who was cut to fill in a rotation spot.
For Tong, the goal is simple. He needs to pick up exactly where he started off. He is, hyperbolically, one of the most important players the Mets have right now. We’ll see him often in 2026. It’s a matter of when.