How A Pair Of Top 10 Mets Prospects Highlight A Quirk In 40-Man Roster Decisions

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Nick Morabito (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Mets Righthander Jonah Tong and center fielder Nick Morabito spent most of this season as teammates with Double-A Binghamton. Both players were drafted out of high school in 2022—Tong in the seventh round and Morabito in the compensatory second round after Noah Syndergaard signed with the Angels as a free agent.

Both Tong and Morabito were 19 years old when drafted and signed by the Mets. Morabito, however, must be added to the 40-man roster after this season—a year earlier than Tong—or else be subject to selection in the Rule 5 draft.

Why is that?

The answer has to do with the players’ birth dates. Both were born in 2003, but Morabito was born on May 7 while Tong was June 19. That means they slot in on opposing sides of the June 5 cutoff date that determines player age for Rule 5 draft purposes.

Forty-three days in 2003 is all that separates the two players by birth date, but it translates to a full season of Rule 5 draft exemption.   

Any drafted or signed player is exempt from Rule 5 draft selection for at least four seasons, provided that his initial Uniform Player Contract has not been voided and that he has not been released and signed to a successor contract. But a player who is classified by MLB as 18 years old or younger is granted five seasons of Rule 5 draft exemption rather than four. A player’s age on June 5 immediately preceding his signing is the key determinant.

Let’s use 2025 draft picks to illustrate the concept:

• Players classified as 18 years old or younger, i.e. high school players, can be evaluated for five seasons—2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029—before their organizations face a 40-man roster decision.
• Players classified as 19 years old or older, i.e. collegians, junior college players, older preps, can be evaluated for four seasons—2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028— before their organizations face a 40-man roster decision.

A player’s signing date—and not his pro debut—is key. Even 2025 draft picks who sign but do not debut this season will have a season counted against them for Rule 5 purposes.

Most high school players are classified as 18 years old for Rule 5 draft purposes—the vast majority of them are 18 on June 5 of their draft years—but the Mets drafted two prominent players in 2022 who illustrate that exceptions exist.

Both Tong and Morabito were 19 years old when drafted in 2022, and both are 22 years old today. But because of the way MLB classifies player age, one of them was considered 18 years old at signing (Tong) and the other 19 (Morabito). That affects how many years the Mets have to evaluate them for the 40-man roster.

As such, the Mets face a decision on Morabito this offseason. His May 7 birthday makes him a 19-year-old signee in the eyes of MLB. This season, Morabito ranks top 10 in the Eastern League in categories such as hits, doubles, stolen bases and batting average. He’s a plus runner and good defender in center field with on-base skills.

Even with below-average present power, Morabito is the type of player who has pedigree, track record and MLB-caliber tools that could help another club next season as a Rule 5 draft pick. That makes him worth considering for the 40-man roster.

The Mets have an extra season in 2026 to evaluate Tong. His June 19 birthday makes him an 18-year-old signee per MLB rules.

Tong, though, has a much stronger 40-man roster case than Morabito does. He leads the minor leagues in strikeouts, ERA and opponent average. The Mets recently promoted him to Triple-A Syracuse, a level higher than Morabito, and he’s the frontrunner for BA’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award.

While Tong still has a chance to join the Mets’ big league roster this summer, his chances are diminished by his 40-man roster status. Space on the roster is precious, and Tong, even with his accomplishment in 2025, is tracking toward a career high in innings after not pitching much in 2022 or 2023.

Already this season, the Mets have added prospect righthander Nolan McLean to the 40-man roster and gotten positive initial results. It will be interesting to see if they make the same decision with Tong and fellow Triple-A righthander Brandon Sproat, the International League pitcher of the month in July.