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Jonah Tong Won't Pitch in the World Baseball Classic
New York Mets starting pitcher Jonah Tong has decided that he will not play for Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. While Tong expressed a desire to participate, he's ultimately opting out in order to get ready for the 2026 MLB season. The 22-year-old faced some adversity upon making his big-league debut last year, pitching to a 7.71 ERA and 4.31 FIP across five starts in Queens. His strikeout rate of 10.61 K/9 indicates impressive stuff, but there's still some concern about his control (4.34 BB/9) and ability to limit damage (1.45 HR/9). As a result, it was recently reported that Tong isn't a lock to make the Mets' Opening Day roster, with the idea that he could use a little more time in Triple-A. Before any transactional decisions are made, though, he'll have ample chances to compete for a roster spot by pitching in spring training, which begins in February. Tong currently ranks as the #88 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's 2026 fantasy baseball draft rankings.
Source: Shi Davidi
Source: Shi Davidi
