Prized pitching prospect Jonah Tong set for MLB debut with Mets after rapid rise through minors

NEW YORK (AP) — A few years ago, Jonah Tong was an undersized teenager from Ontario, Canada, just hoping to find a place to play college ball.

North Dakota State and Maine — not exactly big league hotbeds — were his best bets at the time. ... Brrrr!

Now, he's about to make his highly anticipated MLB debut in the heat of a pennant race on center stage in New York City.

When the 22-year-old Tong takes the mound Friday night for the New York Mets against Miami, it will culminate a rapid and extraordinary rise from seventh-round draft pick to one of baseball's best pitching prospects.

“It's incredible,” Tong said Thursday in the Mets' clubhouse. “It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid.”

After only two outings with Triple-A Syracuse, the Mets are promoting Tong to face the Marlins at Citi Field as New York tries to chase down the first-place Phillies in the NL East and expand its lead for the final National League wild card.

During a stretch of 16 games without a day off, the Mets wanted to insert a sixth starter this time through the rotation — and Tong dominated minor league hitters so thoroughly that he became the choice even sooner than expected.

The right-hander was completely surprised when he received the news from Syracuse manager Dick Scott a few days ago, just after throwing a bullpen.

“Definitely a crazy day, but it was awesome,” a smiling Tong said.

He called his mom and dad separately, and his father was so busy at work all he could offer was a quick congratulations over the phone before sending a longer written message later.

Tong said his parents, grandfather, aunt, uncle, agent and girlfriend will all be in attendance Friday along with his first professional pitching coach, Garrett Baker.

Depending upon performance, Tong could remain in the Mets' rotation down the stretch.

“I’m just getting ready to start tomorrow, and everything after that will take care of itself," he said.

It's the second time in two weeks New York has decided to call up a top pitching prospect from Syracuse.

Nolan McLean made his MLB debut Aug. 16 against Seattle and has provided a major boost, going 3-0 with a 0.89 ERA and 21 strikeouts while becoming the first Mets pitcher to win his first three big league starts.

“He’s done a heck of a job,” Tong said. “He’s incredible. I think that I’m just going to go up there and be myself, and I have confidence that’s going to be enough.”

Tong's new No. 21 jersey hung from his locker Thursday in a corner of the Mets' clubhouse, separated by one stall from the No. 26 worn by McLean.

“It’s always good to get the youth in there,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before his team's 7-4 loss to Miami. “Familiar faces, new faces, it creates a little bit of competition as well within that room — which is important.

“So, I always see it as a positive, and that’s what we’re seeing here with McLean. And hopefully that’s the same case with Jonah.”

If he was nervous about his upcoming debut, Tong certainly didn't show it while answering questions from reporters. Seemingly at ease, he displayed a sense of humor and recounted his unorthodox career path.

Tong, born and raised in Canada, traveled all the way to Georgia Premier Academy and the MLB Draft League to showcase his talents as a teenager. He was selected by the Mets in the 2022 amateur draft and really started to take off in the minors last year, when he pitched at three levels.

“It’s definitely not for everybody. It’s definitely not like, I would say, the path I had growing up. I was even reflecting on it last night: My whole goal coming out of high school was to just get to college,” Tong said. “And then it was just, opportunities kept on happening.”

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, the baby-faced Tong said he's gained 25 pounds since he was drafted — and it shows in his sturdy upper legs.

“That helps. I was small as a kid who was just barely trying to find his way through,” Tong said. “I got a lot less comments about how skinny I was."

This season, Tong went 8-5 with a 1.59 ERA and 162 strikeouts against 44 walks in 20 starts covering 102 innings at Double-A Binghamton. He was promoted to Triple-A on Aug. 11 and encountered little trouble there, too, going 2-0 with 17 strikeouts and three walks in 11 2/3 scoreless innings.

That left him leading all minor league pitchers in ERA and strikeouts this year. And his overpowering fastball earned him a nickname at Binghamton, with a signature T-shirt to go with it: The Canadian Cannon.

“That was a huge surprise," he said. “I think it was cool.”

Tong is rated the Mets’ No. 4 prospect, one spot behind McLean, and 44th overall in baseball by MLB Pipeline.

With his slight build and drastic over-the-top delivery, Tong has often drawn comparisons to Tim Lincecum, a two-time NL Cy Young Award winner and four-time All-Star with the Giants who pitched in the majors from 2007-16.

“There's deception there because of the way the ball comes out, and there's funk to it,” Mendoza said. "Hitters are not used to seeing that type of delivery.”

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New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean reacts after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies during a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, left, talks with Brett Baty during batting practice before a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

From left, New York Mets' Jeff McNeil, Tyrone Taylor, Brett Baty and Starling Marte react after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies during a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Troops from several European countries continued to arrive in Greenland on Thursday in a show of support for Denmark as talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the future of the Arctic island.

Denmark announced it would increase its military presence in Greenland on Wednesday as foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland were preparing to meet with White House representatives in Washington. Several European partners — including France, Germany, the U.K., Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands — started sending symbolic numbers of troops already on Wednesday or promised to do so in the following days.

The troop movements were intended to portray unity among Europeans and send a signal to President Donald Trump that an American takeover of Greenland is not necessary as NATO together can safeguard the security of the Arctic region amid rising Russian and Chinese interest.

“The first French military elements are already en route” and “others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday, as French authorities said about 15 soldiers from the mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk for a military exercise.

Germany will deploy a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said.

On Thursday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the intention was “to establish a more permanent military presence with a larger Danish contribution,” according to Danish broadcaster DR. He said soldiers from several NATO countries will be in Greenland on a rotation system.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, said Wednesday that a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland remains with Trump after they held highly anticipated talks at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rasmussen added that it remains “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland” but that dialogue with the U.S. would continue at a high level over the following weeks.

Inhabitants of Greenland and Denmark reacted with anxiety but also some relief that negotiations with the U.S. would go on and European support was becoming visible.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the continuation of “dialogue and diplomacy.”

“Greenland is not for sale,” he said Thursday. “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed from the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”

In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, local residents told The Associated Press they were glad the first meeting between Greenlandic, Danish and American officials had taken place but suggested it left more questions than answers.

Several people said they viewed Denmark’s decision to send more troops, and promises of support from other NATO allies, as protection against possible U.S. military action. But European military officials have not suggested the goal is to deter a U.S. move against the island.

Maya Martinsen, 21, said it was “comforting to know that the Nordic countries are sending reinforcements” because Greenland is a part of Denmark and NATO.

The dispute, she said, is not about “national security” but rather about “the oils and minerals that we have that are untouched.”

On Wednesday, Poulsen announced a stepped-up military presence in the Arctic “in close cooperation with our allies,” calling it a necessity in a security environment in which “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”

“This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen said.

Asked whether the European troop movements were coordinated with NATO or what role the U.S.-led military alliance might play in the exercises, NATO referred all questions to the Danish authorities. However, NATO is currently studying ways to bolster security in the Arctic.

The Russian embassy in Brussels on Thursday lambasted what it called the West's “bellicose plans” in response to “phantom threats that they generate themselves”. It said the planned military actions were part of an “anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda” by NATO.

“Russia has consistently maintained that the Arctic should remain a territory of peace, dialogue and equal cooperation," the embassy said.

Rasmussen announced the creation of a working group with the Americans to discuss ways to work through differences.

“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said.

Commenting on the outcome of the Washington meeting on Thursday, Poulsen said the working group was “better than no working group” and “a step in the right direction.” He added nevertheless that the dialogue with the U.S. did not mean “the danger has passed.”

Speaking on Thursday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the American ambition to take over Greenland remains intact despite the Washington meeting, but she welcomed the creation of the working group.

The most important thing for Greenlanders is that they were directly represented at the meeting in the White House and that “the diplomatic dialogue has begun now,” Juno Berthelsen, a lawmaker for the pro-independence Naleraq opposition party, told AP.

A relationship with the U.S. is beneficial for Greenlanders and Americans and is “vital to the security and stability of the Arctic and the Western Alliance,” Berthelsen said. He suggested the U.S. could be involved in the creation of a coastguard for Greenland, providing funding and creating jobs for local people who can help to patrol the Arctic.

Line McGee, 38, from Copenhagen, told AP that she was glad to see some diplomatic progress. “I don’t think the threat has gone away,” she said. “But I feel slightly better than I did yesterday.”

Trump, in his Oval Office meeting with reporters, said: “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”

Niemann reported from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ciobanu from Warsaw, Poland.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt speak at a news conference at the Embassy of Denmark, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

People walk on a street in Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

From center to right, Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, Denmark's Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen, rear, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, right, arrive on Capitol Hill to meet with senators from the Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

An Airbus A400M transport aircraft of the German Air Force taxis over the grounds at Wunstorf Air Base in the Hanover region, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 as troops from NATO countries, including France and Germany, are arriving in Greenland to boost security. (Moritz Frankenberg/dpa via AP)

Fishermen load fishing lines into a boat in the harbor of Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, arrive on Capitol Hill to meet with members of the Senate Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)