Jonah Tong was lightly recruited out of high school.

“My offers were North Dakota State and Maine,” said Tong.

The right-handed pitcher from Canada decided to commit to North Dakota State and had the intention of pitching for the Bison.

“I was fully committed to going to college,” said Tong. “My roommates texting me at the time, just getting sorted and figuring out what courses am I taking…stuff like that. I was fully committed to go to college.”

But when the New York Mets selected Tong in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft, he had a decision to make: go to college or go pro.

He chose to join the Mets’ organization. 

“It was a hard decision and then when we eventually came to it, it was probably the best decision for me to make and I think it’s turning out pretty well,” said Tong.

It appears Tong made the right choice. He entered Monday leading all levels of Minor League Baseball with 115 strikeouts this season to go along with a miniscule 1.73 ERA. Earlier this season threw 6.2 innings of a seven-inning, combined perfect game for the Rumble Ponies. 

Tong is now the No. 4 ranked prospect in the Mets’ farm system, according to MLB.com. He was selected Monday to participate in the upcoming 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 12. 

“He’s a great person, great teammate,” said Binghamton manager Reid Brignac. “He enjoys and loves coming to the field every day. He’s a hard worker. All the qualities we look for in a player.”

While Tong originally decided to forego college and chase his pro baseball dreams, he’s now pursuing a college degree while pitching in the Mets’ organization. 

“I’m still in school right now, I’m attending some courses at Northeastern,” said Tong. 

Tong recently wrapped up his “freshman” year at Northeastern as he majors in finance and accounting management.

His educational goal is to attain his college degree but when it comes to baseball, Tong is hoping to one day pitch in Major League Baseball.

“That’s why we’re here,” said Tong. “We’re here to become big leaguers and I think for me, I am just really excited to see how I develop as a player and as a human.”

Tong is scheduled to make his next start Friday, July 4 at home against Hartford.Â