ONE GREAT GAME DOES NOT A CAREER MAKE
Mark Whiten once homered 4 times in one game.
But just 101 times in the rest of his career.
Back in April 2024, I noted this about the two prospect pitchers Tong and Ziegler, and that day thought the sky was the limit, with clear sailing ahead:
Mets minors pitchers Jonah Tong and Calvin Ziegler threw 8.1 innings on Sunday and between them allowed 2 hits and 2 walks yesterday, and no runs.
Impressive to be sure, but that is not phenomenal.
WHAT HERE, THEN, IS PHENOMENAL?
The two fireballers combined to fan 20 batters. That’s…
TWENTY OF 25 OUTS! “HIGH SCHOOL PITCHER DOMINANCE” NUMBERS.
Ziegler a perfect 4 innings, 9 Ks.
And Tong fanned 11 in 4.1 innings.
Calvin Ziegler, pre-draft
Ziegler (age 21) threw just one inning last year and fanned the side. He’s already quadrupled his workload in 2024.
The Ziegler sky is the limit.
Tong fans 11 in 4.1 innings. The 20 year old 7th round righty has now fanned 49 in 25 pro innings.
His fastball as a teenager at draft time reached the mid-90s and he has a high-spin curveball and a progressing changeup. Walks last year were high for Jonah, but his age was low…this guy could certainly be a diamond in the rough.
The Tong sky is the limit.
THE SKY MAY BE THE LIMIT, BUT IT HAS TO BE REACHED.
Tong’s sensational 2025 has really stalled in 2026.
- A 6.00 ERA in AAA?
- Did not see that coming.
Jonah allowed extremely few homers in his first 2+ pro years.
Just 8 in 248 IP.
His problems this year are long ball related, however.
An astonishing 15 HRs in his first 66 AAA innings pitched this year.
And just 1 win in 15 AAA starts.
A stunning sevenfold rate of long balls increase.
His control has worsened as well.
Majors and minors in 2026, a high 46 BBs allowed in 76 IP.
Tong has not been terrific in 2026.
Ziegler?
He is finally back, with 3.1 rehab innings in 5 appearances, but with 6 walks and 2 hit batsmen.
But he is at least pitching again. He had strong control in April 2024, in his very limited pre-injury innings that year.
For both pitchers?
We all hope for “sky high”. BUT…
Let’s hope the floor they are currently at is their lower limit, too.
6 comments:
Tong was good in his last start. Walks still high. Question: does AAA have the same balls/strikes challenge system as MLB? If so, TONG will have to throw more strikes.
If all pitches are called by computer, that could explain in part the high walk rates for Tong and other AAA pitchers in 2026.
The Mets have changed his arm angle and he is trying to throw more breaking balls. IMO, let him go back and let him be a two pitch reliever.
When Ziegler first arrived? Thought he would be the next ace. At 23, can he heal and be an effective player?
The so-called expects completely screwed up Tong this year. Though I did enjoy watching him pitch the other night. Maybe he just told the Karens to flip off and went back to his old self.
Nolan Ryan walked lots of guys. Just let Tong pitch. He is smart. He wasn’t the best pitcher in all of the minors in 2025 by being stupid.
Tong and Wenninger need to pound the zone in AAA
Santucci needs to join them asap
Like last year, sell off or DFA/release pitching contracts and have both Tong and Wenninger join McLean Scott and Thornton in September
Mack I would add Santucci to that list as Sept call up. He can pitch a little. If he gets knocked around, that is OK. A lesson heading into 2027.
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