Tong, Williams, Brignac Win Eastern League Yearly Awards
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday that RHP Jonah Tong was named Eastern League (EL) Pitcher of the Year, IF/OF Jett Williams was named MLB Top Prospect in the league, and Binghamton Rumble Ponies manager Reid Brignac was named Eastern League Manager of the Year, as part of
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday that RHP Jonah Tong was named Eastern League (EL) Pitcher of the Year, IF/OF Jett Williams was named MLB Top Prospect in the league, and Binghamton Rumble Ponies manager Reid Brignac was named Eastern League Manager of the Year, as part of the announcement of the Double-A All-Star teams. In addition, 1B Ryan Clifford, RHP Jack Wenninger, RHP Douglas Orellana, and RHP Joander Suarez were named to the EL All-Star team at their respective positions.
Tong, 22, led Minor League Baseball (full season) in strikeouts (179), ERA (1.43), and average against (.148), making 20 of his 22 minor league starts with the Rumble Ponies. Tong, the Mets’ No. 4 prospect and No. 43 overall, made his Major League debut on August 29 and has made five starts with the Mets. The Markham, Ontario, native was selected by the Mets in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Georgia Premier Academy. It is the second straight year a Binghamton pitcher has won the EL Pitcher of the Year award, as RHP Brandon Sproat was the 2024 recipient.
Williams, 21, the Mets’ No. 2 prospect and No. 29 in baseball, finished third in Double-A with an .867 OPS in 96 games with Binghamton. The Dallas native finished second in the EL in OBP (.390), tied for second in doubles (29), and fifth in slugging percentage (.477), average (.281), and XBH (44). He also hit 10 home runs, drove in 37 runs, and stole 32 bases with Binghamton before being promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Wiliams was selected by the Mets with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Rockwall-Heath High School.
Brignac, in his fourth year managing the Rumble Ponies, has led Binghamton to its second Eastern League Championship Series appearance in the last three years after winning both the first and second-half regular season division titles. The team set a franchise record with 90 wins (90-46) in the regular season and was only one of two teams in Minor League Baseball to win 90 games. Over his tenure as manager (2022-2025), Brignac is the second-longest tenured and second-winningest manager in franchise history (286-257). This year alone, 15 players who played for Brignac at one point with Binghamton, made their Major League Debut. Brignac is the first Binghamton manager since Pedro Lopez in 2013 to be named Manager of the Year.
Clifford, 22, the Mets’ No. 8 prospect, led the EL with 24 home runs and was second in RBIs (75) in 105 games with Binghamton. The Raleigh native finished third in the EL in slugging percentage (.493), fourth in OPS (.848), and fifth in walks (63). Clifford was acquired by the Mets in the July 2023 trade that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros. He was initially selected by Houston in the 13th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Pro5 Academy in Apex, North Carolina.
Wenninger, 23, the Mets’ No. 13 prospect, was tied for second in Double-A with 12 wins. In the EL, Wenninger finished first in WHIP (1.15) and second in strikeouts (147), ERA (2.92), average against (.225), and innings pitched (135.2). He also finished tied for second in the EL with 26 games started. Wenninger was selected by the Mets in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Illinois.
Orellana, the Mets’ No. 26 prospect, had just a 1.64 ERA over 25 appearances with Binghamton in his first year at Double-A. The 23-year-old finished with 46 strikeouts and only 13 walks. From Caracas, Venezuela, Orellana signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2021.
Suarez, 25, had a 3.05 ERA in 20 appearances (15 starts) with the Rumble Ponies. He had 84 strikeouts and only issued 13 walks. From Cumana, Venezuela, Suarez signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2018.
The Rumble Ponies play Game 2 of the Eastern League Championship Series on Tuesday night against the Erie SeaWolves at UPMC Park, with Binghamton down 1-0 in the best-of-three series. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage getting underway at 6:20 p.m. on the WNBF Rumble Ponies Radio Network.