Nobody was more awed by Jonah Tong than the Citi Field crowd, who essentially adopted the engaging 22-year-old during his major league debut and welcomed him with open arms and loud claps.
But the opposing hitters were impressed, too.
In an intriguing, if not dominant, first game, Tong showed off a unique delivery, a rare fastball and stuff that might be raw but helped him through five mostly solid innings in a victory.
The first glimpse of Tong — the best pitcher in minor league baseball this season who barely touched Triple-A Syracuse before his call-up — provided a look at a windup that is smooth and culminates with a release point straight over the top.
