2022 Mets Draft profile: Jonah Tong

A native of Markham, Ontario, Canada, Jonah Reid Tin Chee Matthew Tong grew up in a family of athletes. His father, Alex, played hockey and volleyball in high school. His mother, Karen, played softball, field hockey, and volleyball. Jonah has two sisters, and both are athletes as well, with older sister Morgan competing in gymnastics for Central Michigan University and younger sister Montana playing softball and baseball.

In 2021, the right-hander pitched at Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham, and then transferred to the Georgia Premier Academy for his senior season in 2022. He also pitched for the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League in 2022, making four appearances and three starts. He posted a 10.80 ERA in 11.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 10, and striking out 14.

The 6’1”, 180-pound right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long action through the back. He drops and drives off the mound well, giving him good extension on his pitches. There is some effort in his delivery that impacts his command and control but does not appear to be a major red flag at present.

His fastball sits in the lot-to-mid-90s and has an above-average backspin rates, giving it rising action. He complements his fastball with a curveball and a changeup. His curveball, which sits in the high-70s, flashes above-average thanks to its high spin rate, which has been measured as high as 2800 RPM. He sometimes telegraphs the pitch, throwing it at a higher arm slot than normal in order to get on top of it and give it better 12-6 drop. His changeup, which sits in the low-80s, still lags far behind his curveball, but the pitch flashes potential, as it has induced a high number of swings-and-misses not against not just fellow high school competitors, but against older, college-aged hitters in the MLB Draft League.

Tong has a commitment to North Dakota State University and will be a draft-eligible sophomore if he ends up going to college instead of signing with the Mets.