New York Mets prospects rise in latest MLB Pipeline ranking

It's an encouraging update for New York's farm, as all four prospects saw a rise in their ranking. McLean saw the most considerable leap of ten spots, with Tong jumping up seven, Williams up five, and Benge up four.

Tong's incredible 132 strikeouts for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies leads all minor leaguers this season. In 16 starts, the 22-year-old has been nearly untouchable at this level, boasting a 1.71 ERA.

Fellow right-hander McLean (101 Ks) has been just as impressive this year, setting in nicely after his transition from Double-A to Triple-A. At the end of June and into early July when the Mets were hit with numerous pitching injuries, insider Will Sammon indicated that McLean could be called up to the major league club at some point this season.

With the trade deadline just a week away and the Mets profiling as obvious buyers, names like Tong and McLean would be hot on the market. But according to Jon Heyman of the NY Post, the front office will look to keep those two out of any potential trades, along with Williams.

Brandon Sproat, who came into the season as the Mets' number one prospect, is still on the outside of the top 100 after early struggles. The 24-year-old now ranks 5th among his club, but has been producing quality starts as of late, lowering his ERA in his last ten starts from 6.31 at the end of May to 4.34 as of July 24th.

Within the Mets updated top 30, Jacob Reimer (No. 6), A.J. Ewing (No. 9), Jack Wenninger (No. 14), Will Watson (No. 17), and Anthony Nunez (No. 18) all saw leaps of ten of more spots. 20-year-old RHP Wellington Aracena broke into the top 20 after 17 appearances for Low-A St. Lucie.

There's a good chance that the farm gets a drastic shake-up in just a week's time, but it's clear that some prospects will be close to untouchable. The big league club could even see contributions from some of these top names at some point before the end of the season.