Nolan McLean didn't look like he had the weight of the entire New York Mets franchise on his shoulders when he made his MLB debut on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners... but he kinda did. Or, it at least felt like he did, as the Mets were desperate for a quality outing from a starting pitcher and they got one from a 24 year-old in his first-ever big league game.
Time for a heat check? Jonah Tong, the Mets' other top pitching prospect, made his debut for Triple-A Syracuse the same night McLean debuted for the MLB club, and Tong was just as dominant!. He went 5.2 innings, didn't allow a run, gave up just three hits and two walks, and struck out nine in a win.
Jonah Tong dominated in his debut for Triple-A Syracuse tonight 💪
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 17, 2025
His final line: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K pic.twitter.com/tp7tYvL4G4
Yes, it was his first start at Triple-A and yes, he's just 22 years old. He still might be the best starting option the Mets can turn to right now, and boy do they still need some help. Tong has dominated every level of minor league ball he's played, by the way, looking far more advanced than the much older prospects he's played against during his rise through the Mets system. He's 15-11 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 56 minor league appearances.
So will the Mets pull the trigger? McLean impressed early on, and if he can pitch well enough to stay in the rotation through the playoffs, that would provide a huge lift to the Mets rotation... but it doesn't solve their starting pitching problems. The entire rotation has struggled to put together consistent outings and McLean can obviously only pitch once every five days — plus, the Mets will understandably want to be pretty cautious with his innings and pitch counts this early in his career. Calling up Tong doesn't sound too crazy when you look at the full scope.
Jonah Tong might be closer to MLB-ready than fans thought
There are two schools of thought regarding calling up a guy who may (or may not) be ready for big league action. The first school is attended by the sports nihilists, who will tell you that nothing matters anyway, the season is already over, everyone currently on the team sucks, so why not call up the kid?
The second school is occupied by more cautious folks, who will tell you that, yes, the Mets pitching staff surely needs help in 2025, but the risk of bringing up Tong for a playoff run far outweighs the potential benefits he would bring to the ball club. He could be solid — or he could totally screw up his development and be overwhelmed by MLB hitting. He could be a playoff hero — or he could tank his confidence by getting shelled in the NLDS.
I'm somewhere in between those two beliefs. If the Mets are going to make a run, will the difference be a 22 year-old who's never thrown in the bigs? But also... even if Tong struggles, it's not like he'd forget how to pitch in 2026.
Yeah, sure, why not? Call him up. Live dangerously.