Blue Jays Nation’s Top 25 Canadian Baseball Prospects for 2026: #2 Jonah Tong
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Photo credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Nick Prasad
Feb 20, 2026, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 20, 2026, 07:24 EST

#2 – Jonah Tong

Hometown: Markham, Ontario
Organization: New York Mets
Draft: 7th round, 2022 (NYM)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Bats/Throws: R/R
Jonah Tong, Blue Jays Nation’s #2-ranked top Canadian prospect, is the pride and joy of Markham, Ontario, Canada, along with a fellow Markham-native, Jordan Romano. Tong attended Bill Crothers Secondary School while playing elite-travel baseball with the Toronto Mets and the Junior National Team. 
The right-handed Canadian pitcher displayed his talents across the nation and North America, showcasing with Prep Baseball Ontario, the Canadian Premier Baseball League, and at the annual Canadian Futures Showcase before taking his talents down south to Georgia Premier Academy in his later high school years. Tong also pitched in the  MLB Draft League in 2022, appearing in four games. 
Tong was committed to North Dakota State University before the 2022 MLB Draft. After being drafted by the Mets in the seventh round, he decided to turn pro instead of heading down the college route, joining a long list of alumni from the Toronto Mets program to head to the professional ranks. 
In 2023, Tong split his time between Rookie Ball and Single-A, and took a step forward in 2024 when he finished the year in Double-A Binghamton, making two starts.

2025 

Tong made his Major League debut last season after dominating in two different minor league levels. The Canadian pitcher worked most of his innings in Double-A Binghamton, where he threw 102 innings with a 1.59 ERA and a 0.922 WHIP. 
He faced 396 batters, striking out 162 of them while only walking 44. His stellar performance in the farm system allowed him to climb the ladder quickly. Tong’s 2025 performance fast-tracked his way to the Mets’ active roster, and after just two impressive starts with Triple-A Syracuse, he was called up to the big leagues. 
The Markham product made his Major League debut in late August 2025 against the Miami Marlins, where he pitched five innings, allowing one earned run, four total runs and six hits while striking out six. 
Tong finished the year in the Majors with a 2-3 record in five games started, 18 and 2/3 innings of work, and 22 strikeouts with a 7.71 ERA and a 1.768 WHIP.  
The Canadian finished the 2025 season leading the minor leagues in strikeouts (179) and K/9 (14.17)  despite finishing the year in the big leagues.

Looking ahead to 2026 

The ceiling is very high for Tong as he enters the 2026 season. Some believe that he’ll start in the minor leagues because of the Mets’ current rotation depth, but the 22-year-old is in a good spot for a rotation spot heading into Spring Training. 
As little as we saw Tong in the show, his overall statcast numbers were impressive. The Canadian held a 42.9% hard-hit percentage and a 64.3% AIR percentage. The development of Tong will be crucial to his career and the team. Tong has a four-pitch arsenal, which brings diversity in his sequencing. Pitch usage and velocity will be something to pay attention to in 2026. 
Tong is going to be a key factor on a highly competitive Mets roster. This team is expected to be a postseason-type team, and his contribution can assist with that. If Tong does not make the Opening Day roster, he is easily the ‘next man in line’ for a promotion if any starter goes down with an injury. 
The Canadian is foregoing a spot on the Team Canada roster for the WBC as he competes for a spot on the Mets’ Opening Day roster.

Previous rankings
#3 – Dante Nori
#4 – Tyler Bremner
#5 – Mitch Bratt
#12 – Tyler Black
#14 – Sam Shaw
#15 – Will Hynes
#16 – Myles Naylor
#17 – Dasan Brown
#21 – Jacob Zibin
#22 – Eric Hartman
#24 – Indigo Diaz
#25 – Tim Piasentin

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