Mets fans, buckle up — because the baby aces are coming, and the Mets are banking on a second straight lightning strike.
McLean’s Early Impact Gives Rotation a Lifeline
First came Nolan McLean, the hard-throwing righty who burst onto the scene and gave a battered Mets rotation a serious boost. Two starts, 12.1 innings, just two runs allowed — and 15 punchouts to boot. And his latest gem — a 7-inning masterpiece last Friday — didn’t just show poise, it gave a much-needed breather to a bullpen that’s been hanging on by a thread.
But now, here comes the sequel.
Jonah Tong to Make MLB Debut Friday vs. Marlins
Enter Jonah Tong, the 21-year-old flamethrower who’s about to make his MLB debut Friday against the Marlins. The Athletic’s Will Sammon dropped the scoop, and ESPN’s Jorge Castillo confirmed he’ll get the start. And if Tong’s minor league numbers are even a whisper of what we’ll see in the bigs, Mets fans, this could get fun — fast.
Let’s talk numbers. Tong has been downright filthy in the minors this season: a sparkling 1.43 ERA, a WHIP that’s practically invisible at 0.924, and a ridiculous 179 strikeouts over 113.2 innings. That’s not just good — that’s “top-prospect rocket fuel” good.
Mets Rotation Faltering, Tong Could Be the Fix
And frankly, the timing couldn’t be better. Since the All-Star break, the Mets rotation has been sputtering like a car with sugar in the tank. A 4.86 ERA from their starters? That’s 22nd in the league. And they’re not going deep into games either — just 166.2 innings logged by starters, ranking them 25th over that stretch. No wonder this team has slid from NL East hopefuls to scrapping for the last wild-card spot.
So here’s the pitch: With Tong debuting Friday, the Mets not only get a fresh arm, they buy the rest of the rotation a day of much-needed rest. But this isn’t just about eating innings — if Tong shows anything close to the dominance he flashed in the minors, the Mets might have no choice but to keep him in the mix for the stretch run.
This isn’t just about Friday. This could be the start of something bigger. For Tong. For the Mets. For a rotation desperately in need of answers. Let’s see if lightning’s still hanging around in Queens.
