Jonah Tong has a refreshingly realistic outlook on his immediate NY Mets future

Prior to the 2023 season, Francisco Alvarez was sure he would make the New York Mets Opening Day roster. He didn’t. The team carried Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido into the season. Narvaez’s early season injury paved the way for Alvarez to get significant playing time early, making us all forget about his bold proclamation that didn’t seem quite realistic. Narvaez was signed in December. The Mets had already signed Nido to an extension and he made sense to keep around as the backup.

Asking rookies, especially those who’ve already dipped their toes in the big league water like Alvarez did in 2022, the question is standard in spring training. Jonah Tong discussed the same situation about the 2026 Mets roster and had a much different answer.

Jonah Tong’s answer lacks a killer instinct, but sets a realistic goal for the young Mets pitcher

Tong would need more than a couple of pitchers to go down with injury to make the Mets roster. Could he maybe make the cut with an outstanding spring? The Mets would probably be more tempted to season him in Triple-A a little longer than the two starts he had at the end of last season.

An already crowded six-man rotation with Tobias Myers available as a seventh option as well as others on the depth chart, it’s not looking good for Tong’s chances to break camp with the team. That’s perfectly fine. His performance in the majors last year suggested he should spend a few weeks, if not months, in the minors before getting the ball again in the majors.

A lot could be read between the lines here. Does Tong already know the plan is for him to begin the year in the minors? Is he just sensible to understand the situation? The diplomatic, non-contentious answer is another reminder of a few things about his personality. He’s still a kid, and apparently a very nice one, born in Canada with a bit of an “oh shucks” type of mentality about a lot of things; until he’s on the mound.

Last March, Ryan Lambert had a bold answer about his future with the Mets. “I’m an adrenaline guy. I like big situations.” were the words he shared at the Spring Breakout Game.

Dylan Ross had a similar quote in late September after his promotion. "I don't care who you are, I'm going to come after you and attack you."

Context aside, both hard-throwing relief prospects are candidates to make serious noise in the big leagues this year with the Mets just as Tong will as a starter. The mentality does seem to be different. Tong’s more low-key mentality, while not capable of making anyone run through a wall, is distinctively him. He knows the situation he’s in. His actions will do more than any bold words ever will.