Mets Minors: Jonah Tong, the one we missed

The Mets have hundreds of players in their system and we, as an internet community, tend to only focus on 50 or less of the “prospects” in that group. I keep a running tab of rankings and am constantly adjusting players up and down the rankings as seasons move along. The Mets’ seventh round pick from 2022 ranked 36th overall in my rankings at the end of that season but, thanks to a lackluster 2023 found himself outside the top 50 pretty quickly. Only one “Top” list had Jonah Tong on it to start 2024 (Metsmerized) and they also ranked Boston Baro 15th.

We’re now confronted with a pretty pleasant conundrum of figuring out how high to insert Tong into the rankings after starting the season outside the Top 50. This season he has pitched in three games and has pitched 12.2 innings as the Mets have stretched him out and in that time his numbers have been elite. He has 27 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.79 at the age of 20. There isn’t a lot of new scouting into his stuff but the eye-test was passed.

He has a rising fastball that typically sits in the middle 90s and a curveball with a great spin rate but exactly what has changed from 2022 to now is anyone’s guess. Strikeouts, at least, are not a surprise. Even in 2023, where his numbers weren’t great, he struck out 38 over 21 innings. The change here is that he is walking batters half as often.

Whether or not this Canadian born prospect winds up being a Top 10 prospect in the future is hard to say but he certainly belongs in the Top 50 and because those numbers are so spectacular I’m giving him a generous starting point as 25th overall.

AAA: Syracuse Mets

• Luisangel Acuna, SS/2B/OF – His overall numbers aren’t looking great just yet but he hasn’t been terrible either. He’s treading water and doesn’t move in the rankings but he’s gotta cut down his strikeouts and get on base more.
• Drew Gilbert, OF – Hamstring Strain (No timetable for return)
• Christian Scott, RHSP – Starting with the good, Scott has 26 Ks and only 3 walks through his first three starts and owns a 3.77 ERA. The troubling thing is the 5 home runs he’s given up in that time. Troubling or not, I’ve slid him up six spots to second overall in the system.
• Mark Vientos, 3B/1B/DH – Some Met fans have already given up on Vientos and have deemed him a AAAA player. This is foolish given the power he’s shown and the improvement at the plate he’s demonstrated. He’s walking slightly more, striking out slightly less and his OPS is currently at 1.018 for the year. He’s no longer a “prospect” but it seems foolish to give up on him right now.
• Mike Vasil, RHSP – There is little good to say about Vasil’s season. He’s pitched four times and totalled 11.1 innings and giving up 23 hits, 8 walks and 5 home runs in that time. He began the year at 10th overall and has been dropped 7 spots to 17th.
• Dominic Hamel, RHSP – Hamel started the season about as poorly as he could but his second two starts showed a little rebound. He’s giving up too many hits and home runs and has dropped from five spots in the rankings to 22nd overall.
• Nathan Lavender, LHRP – To force his way onto the major league roster Lavender would either need to do more or to have more relievers look like Michael Tonkin. He’s not been amazing but he’s been good enough to slide up two spots from 31 to 29.

AA: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

• Jett Williams, 2B/SS/OF – There’s some good to report and that has to do with Williams’ advanced eye. This kid knows his strikezone and that leads to walks and lower strikeouts. He also has 4 extra base hits on the young season which is more impressive because the bad news is he only has 7 hits overall. The hits just aren’t falling for Williams and that’s a shame. Additionally, he’s struggled at second base in limited game action. I’m not unseating him from being the top prospect just yet though.
• Blade Tidwell, RHSP – He had been ranked as the top pitcher in the system on my Top 50 rankings and he’s genuinely pitched like a Top 10 prospect (in an organization) should. I’ve left him at 5th overall.
• Alex Ramirez, OF – Ramirez has built on a strong Spring Training and looked very solid in the early going for Binghamton. He’s doing almost everything but the kid needs to learn to take a walk. He’s gone up fours slots and is back in the Top 10.
• Kevin Parada, C – In a perfect world, Parada would be a total standout offensively but he’s really just been a little better than average. I feel justified in my ranking him 8th overall and haven’t moved him.
• Jeremiah Jackson, Util – 16 strikeouts in 12 games and only 6 hits is not going to do anything positive for his prospect stock.  It’s early in the year and hopefully these early season rough edges get buffed away as the season goes on. Ordinarily this would drop him in the rankings but I think the ranking of 37th still feels about right.
• Paul Gervase, RHRP – After starting out mediocre, Gervase is starting to have more impressive numbers. He drops a single spot in the rankings which doesn’t mean that much.
• Tyler Stuart, RHSP – As much as he has one dedicated fan, in me. His numbers are starting to make me doubt his 2023 success was real.
• JT Schwartz, 1B – Is there a major league future for a firstbaseman without much power but who can get on base? Probably not. He’s still a genuinely solid hitter.
• Jose Peroza, IF – He’s got a .998 OPS in AA and doesn’t belong at the level but the Mets clearly don’t view him as much of a prospect. He’s dropped several spots in the rankings thanks to being assigned to a level below his experience.
• Daniel Juarez, LHRP – Things aren’t looking great for this once promising reliever. He was so good in Brooklyn but has struggled since the Mets promoted him to AA. His numbers aren’t “bad” but his age is such that he’s going to start sinking unless he performs up to the level he had in the lower levels.
• Justin Jarvis, RHSP – One of the players who look likely to fall out of the Top 50 by next month. Jarvis looks like nothing special. He dropped five spots in the rankings and is currently ranked 48th overall.
• Joander Suarez, RHSP – I’ll admit that I ranked him too low to start the year but Suarez has hardly looked like a superstar. He’s moved up 10 spots in my rankings as more of a general correction.
• Max Kranick, RHSP – Not really a prospect but he’s working himself back to 100% and seems ready to join the ranks of AAAA soon.

A+: Brooklyn Cyclones

• Brandon Sproat, RHSP – The Mets repeat draft pick has looked good this year but needs more time developing before we really know how good of a prospect he is. He’s avoiding giving up hits but he showed control issues in game 1 and a lack of strikeouts in game 3. There’s more to like than dislike so far and he’s moved up several spots in the rankings.
• Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF – He’s doing everything that I could want him to in a stadium where power goes to die. I’m hopeful he can keep this up through May and that the Mets might consider promotion for him in June.
• Calvin Ziegler, RHSP – His first outing back on the mound was transcendent but his second was only pretty good. Ziegler moves up eight spots in the rankings because he’s returned to health and not looking like he’s lost a step. He’s knocking on the door of the Top 10 as he’s currently 14th overall.
• Stanley Consuegra, OF – There is a growing concern that Consuegra’s breakout in 2023 might have been an illusion but he’s only one of three hitters in a park built for pitching.
• Nolan McLean, RHSP/DH – His hitting has been tremendous and his pitching has earned him mixed reviews. He’s moved up eight slots in the rankings based mostly on the hitting but appears to be a very noteworthy prospect.

A: St. Lucie Mets

• Colin Houck, SS – He has to strike out less, especially with the Mets having him as their leadoff hitter. He’s starting to hit more and his OPS is getting closer to .700 but he’s holding onto his spot in the Top 10 by his fingernails.
• Jesus Baez, 3B/SS – Don’t look now but he’s the #3 hitter for the team and has 7 extra base hits on the young season. He’s moved up a little and is currently ranked 18th overall.
• Jawilme Ramirez, RHRP – He had one really good outing and a number of pretty good ones to follow it up.
• Marco Vargas, 2B – Injured with no timetable to return
• Ronald Hernandez, C – Champion of the strikezone, this man knows how to take a walk. If he can hit a little more consistently he’ll be golden.
• Kade Morris, RHSP – The Mets 3rd rounder looks solid but is aged to advance to Advanced A soon. His numbers are nothing to write home about but they aren’t bad.
• Nick Morabito, OF – Player most likely to rocket up the boards. Nick Morabito is enjoying a great start in Low A and will likely get a Joander Suarez 10 slot correction if and when the Mets send him up to Brooklyn.
• Austin Troesser, RHSP – Another older 2023 draft pick who is performing well in the early going. He’s not on the Top 50 but would be if he could get these results at a higher level.