Popular former NY Mets player is bearish on the team's Jonah Tong plan

The Mets have made several big moves to shore up their big league roster but that doesn't mean they're neglecting their internal options. The organization's farm system was recently ranked No. 5 by ESPN thanks to having four Top 100 prospects.

One of these prospects, Jonah Tong, is on the brink of having a breakout season if he's able to iron out some of the issues that became apparent during his cup of coffee in 2025. For now, the team's main plan is to expand his arsenal but not everyone agrees that it's the best way to make the most out of his electric stuff.

Former Met Jerry Blevins thinks the team should hold off on altering Jonah Tong too much

In a recent conversation with SNY on Mets Hot Stove, Jerry Blevins argued that the mechanical adjustments needed to add a sweeper or slider would have negative impacts on the pitches he already does throw.

Tong's over the top delivery, which he modeled after Tim Lincecum, gave him an arm angle of 64.4 degrees, the eighth-highest of any pitcher who threw at least one MLB inning last year. Those with similar slots also have trouble generating significant horizontal run on their breaking balls and typically have sharper sliders with more vertical bite. A good example is Trey Yesavage who also has an arm angle of 64.4 degrees and whose slider averaged just 3.4 inches of horizontal break.

In order for him to get more lateral movement, he may have to lower his arm slot to spin the ball the right way which could hinder his biggest strength: the induced vertical break on his fastball. Despite having average velocity, Tong's IVB of 19.8 inches places him amongst baseball's elite. It's a characteristic that has arguably become more important than velocity and it's possible due to the spin efficiency from his high arm slot.

Blevins also makes a good point in that it's hard to place too much stock in Tong's big league campaign because he pitched just 18.2 innings. With his rookie status still intact, a longer stretch of starts and more time to refine his existing tools, namely his secondary offerings, could be enough for him to be successful.

The Mets will have a few years to tinker with Tong but the sooner they figure things out the better. Based on recent standings projections for 2026, they're expected to make the playoffs but a deeper postseason run is something that has eluded the organization despite immense financial contribution. Since buying talent hasn't worked, it may be time for the Mets to rely on homegrown players instead and Jonah Tong could be leading the charge soon.