Johah Tong will not participate in World Baseball Classic with Team Canada

According to a report from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, the New York Mets right-hander has opted out of representing Canada when the tournament gets underway in March.

Tong confirmed the decision himself, noting that while he wanted to participate, the timing made it difficult given his situation with the Mets.

Davidi reported that the decision is understandable for the 22-year-old, who made his MLB debut last summer and enters spring training with a strong opportunity to compete for a roster spot.

In MLB Pipeline’s preseason Top 100 rankings, he sits 48th overall, earning recognition for his mid-90s fastball, plus changeup, average curveball, and developing slider.

Drafted by the Mets in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Tong’s professional career began unevenly in 2023.

However, he took a significant step forward in 2024, posting a 3.03 ERA and a 2.33 FIP across 113 innings.

It was last season where Tong truly broke out. He dominated Double-A hitters, compiling a 1.59 ERA and 1.72 FIP over 102 innings, before adding 11⅔ scoreless innings at the Triple-A level.

Overall, he finished the minor league campaign with a 40.5 percent strikeout rate, a sharp increase from his 34.2 percent mark the previous year.

Tong led all minor leaguers with 179 strikeouts, finishing ahead of Blue Jays prospect Trey Yesavage and Gage Stanifer, who also ranked among the top 10.

Like Yesavage, Tong earned a late-season call-up to the majors, though his transition to the big leagues proved challenging. In five appearances, he recorded a 7.71 ERA and a 4.31 FIP over 18⅔ innings.

His fastball was less effective against MLB hitters, as he posted a 25.3 percent strikeout rate alongside a 10.3 percent walk rate.

Team Canada will compete in Pool A at the World Baseball Classic alongside Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, and Colombia. Canada opens the tournament against Colombia on March 7, followed by Panama on March 8, Puerto Rico on March 10, and Cuba on March 11.

Only the top two teams from the pool will advance to the knockout stage, meaning Canada will likely need a victory against either Cuba or Puerto Rico to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

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