Mets Minors Recap: Jonah Tong Tosses Another Gem

After being shut out the previous night, Brooklyn bounced back with a blanking of the Hudson Valley Renegades, led by another great start by Jonah Tong. Tong has been spectacular the past three starts after hitting a rough patch in his first handful of starts in High-A, lowering his High-A ERA to 3.02. Triple-A Syracuse […]

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After being shut out the previous night, Brooklyn bounced back with a blanking of the Hudson Valley Renegades, led by another great start by Jonah Tong. Tong has been spectacular the past three starts after hitting a rough patch in his first handful of starts in High-A, lowering his High-A ERA to 3.02.

Triple-A
Syracuse Mets (50-32) 4, Worcester Red Sox (40-42) 16

BOX SCORE

• 3B Brett Baty 2-for-5,  2B, RBI, 2 K (1.001 OPS)
• SS Luisangel Acuña 2-for-3, R, SB (27) (.700 OPS)
• C Joe Hudson 2-for-3, 2 R, HR (4), RBI, BB (.851 OPS)

The Syracuse Mets were blown out by the Worcester Woo Sox 16-4, powered by 5-RBI games from both Nick York and Bobby Dalbec. The Mets offense had no chance in this one after their starter allowed seven runs in only 4 2/3 innings. Luisangel Acuña remains hot, stroking two base hits and snagging his 27th stolen base of the season. As Jeff McNeil struggles for the major league club persist, will Acuña get his first taste at the major league level?

• RHP Dom Hamel (7.11 ERA) 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 5 K (94 pitches/ 49 strikes)
• RHP Victor Castaneda 1 1/3 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 0 K
• RHP Eric Orze 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Hamel has struggled to make the transition into Triple-A this season. His BB/9 is 6.08, and K/9 is 9.19, both career lows by a large margin. He hasn’t been unlucky either. His FIP and xFIP are incredibly high (5.33 and 5.84, respectively), and there are serious concerns about the starters’ ability to throw strikes without allowing hard contact.

Double-A

Hartford Yard Goats (43-32) 8, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (37-37) 7

Box Score

• CF Alex Ramirez 3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB (.689 OPS)
• RF Stanley Consuegra 2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI, K (.390 OPS)
• 1B Ryan Clifford 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K (.812 OPS)

Binghamton dropped their Tuesday night matchup against Hartford 8-7 after giving up their one-run lead in the eighth inning. Alex Ramirez led the Pony offense with three RBI, two coming from this sixth-inning double that gave the Rumble Ponies a 6-5 lead.

RBI double from Alex Ramírez to bring home Jaylen Palmer and Matt Rudick and the Ponies are BACK on top! pic.twitter.com/2bjbPM4YLk

— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) July 3, 2024

The Yard Goats would score two in the top of the seventh and never relinquish the lead.

• RHP Joander Suarez (4.78 ERA) 3 2/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (81 pitches/51 strikes)
• RHP Nolan Clenney 1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Shintaro Fujinami 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Josh Hejka 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• LHP Daniel Juarez 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 0 K
• RHP Trey McLoughlin 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Like his entire season to this point, Suarez was shaky and unpredictable. Throwing 81 pitches in only three and two-thirds innings of work to strike out only four and allow nine hits is problematic for a pitcher known for earning ground balls. Suarez is experiencing a massive dip in K/9 relative to last year (11.38 to 8.72) while doubling his HR/9 rate (0.50 to 1.08).

On a brighter note, Shintaro Fujinami looked elite in his rehab start for Binghamton. He is another prospective major league bullpen piece who is slowly starting to get healthier.

High-A
Brooklyn Cyclones (36-41) 7, Hudson Valley Renegades (39-36) 0

BOX SCORE

• 2B Junior Tilien 3-for-4, R, HR (4), 2B, RBI (.674 OPS)
• SS Jesus Baez 1-for-4, 2 RBI (.705 OPS)
• LF Kellum Clark 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, K (.454 OPS)

Brooklyn bounced back with a shutout of their own after being shutout the previous night–beating Hudson Valley 7-0. Junior Tilien carried the offense with two extra-base hits, including this homer to left field, his fourth of the season for the Cyclones.

Home run 4⃣ for #4 as Junior Tilien goes yard to extend the Brooklyn lead to 5-0 here on Coney Island.#AmazinStartsHere I #LGM pic.twitter.com/onOggikwwH

— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) July 3, 2024

• RHP Jonah Tong (3.02 ERA) 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R , 2 BB, 7 K (88 pitches/57 strikes)
• RHP Ben Simon 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Jake Stevenson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tong was fantastic for Brooklyn– five innings, only one hit, no runs, and seven strikeouts for the 21-year-old. Across 47 and 2/3 innings pitched (11 starts) for Brooklyn, Tong has a 3.02 ERA and 63 strikeouts. In his last three starts (16 IP), he has allowed only one run and five hits while striking out 25.

Low-A
St. Lucie Mets (26-51) 5, Daytona Beach Tortugas (36-40) 1

BOX SCORE

• SS Colin Houck 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB (.640 OPS)
• 3B Boston Baro 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K (.730 OPS)
• LF-1B Yohairo Cuevas 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI (.540 OPS)

St. Lucie pulled out the win over Daytona Beach on Tuesday evening, 5-1. A strong outing from Jack Wenninger allowed the St Lucie offense to cruise despite only putting up two runs before their three-run ninth inning.

• RHP Jack Wenninger (5.02 ERA) 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• RHP Jeremy Peguero 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R , 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Juan Arnaud 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Despite his inflated ERA, Wenninger has been solid in the St. Lucie starting rotation – boasting an expected FIP of 2.98 and only 2.92 BB/9.

Florida Complex League
FCL-Mets (17-24) 1, FCL-Nationals (18-21) 9

BOX SCORE

• SS Jeremy Rodriguez 2-for-4, R, K (.733 OPS)
• 2B Branny De Oleo 2-for-3, 3B, BB, SB (5.76 OPS)

The DSL Mets had both of their games suspended. 

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