The Mets’ confidence in Jonah Tong is not accidental, and recent insider comments suggest his role is being shaped with a very specific future in mind.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches during the first inning of the National League Division Series game against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday October 4, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Jon Heyman noted that the Mets internally view Tong as a “budding Freddy Peralta,” a comparison rooted in David Stearns’ history.
Stearns has followed this exact developmental blueprint before, and he rarely abandons approaches that have already proven successful.
In Milwaukee, Stearns identified Peralta as raw but moldable, betting on fastball dominance and long-term refinement.
Early in his career, Peralta leaned almost entirely on his fastball, earning both results and predictability concerns.
Everything shifted once his secondary pitches improved, transforming him from a one-dimensional arm into a frontline starter.
Tong now sits at a remarkably similar crossroads in his own development.
He already possesses an elite fastball paired with a devastating Vulcan changeup that overwhelmed minor league hitters.
Those weapons fueled dominant whiff and chase rates, earning Tong the 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year award.
His brief major league exposure revealed the next necessary step rather than a fatal flaw.
Hitters began sitting on his fastball, punishing predictability rather than diminished velocity or movement.
The results highlighted the need for a deeper arsenal rather than wholesale mechanical changes.
According to Heyman, the Mets plan to start Tong in Triple-A to continue refining his slider.
That mirrors the same developmental patience Stearns once applied to Peralta in Milwaukee.
The strategy suggests Tong is not being rushed, but carefully prepared for a specific long-term role.
If the progression holds, the “budding Peralta” label may become more than a comparison.
It may reveal the Mets’ quiet plan for continuity rather than replacement when the time eventually comes.
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