New York Mets top prospect wins Player of the Week Award

Tong, who is currently ranked as the Mets' No. 4 prospect on MLB.com, was promoted to Triple-A on August 10 along with infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, first baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford and outfielder Carson Benge after displaying ace-caliber stuff pitching for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Before being called up to Triple-A, Tong posted an 8-5 record for Binghamton, with a 1.59 ERA, 162 strikeouts and an incredible 0.92 WHIP in 102 innings. The 22-year-old also ranked first in the Eastern League in strikeouts and ERA, resulting in New York calling up Tong to Triple-A, where he has not missed a beat. Notably, Tong leads all minor league pitchers (across all levels) with 171 strikeouts across Double-A and Triple-A.

Tong is just one of the Mets' top pitching prospects who are poised to play important roles for the franchise over the next several years. One of those other top arms was Nolan McLean, who made his major league debut on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. He fired 5.1 scoreless innings against Seattle, striking out eight on just three hits while issuing four free passes in a 3-1 win for the Amazins'.

McLean's strong big league debut comes after he went 8-5 in 21 games (18 starts) in Triple-A this year with a 2.45 ERA, 127 strikeouts and a 1.13 WHIP in 113.2 innings of work.

Brandon Sproat is another young arm who is continuing to climb up the ranks of the Mets' farm system. Despite getting off to a slow start at the Triple-A level, Sproat has posted a 7-6 record in 23 starts for Syracuse this season, with a 4.40 ERA, 92 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.27 in 104.1 innings.

With the Mets continuing to see their top pitching prospects dominate in the minor leagues, including McLean replicating the success he had during his first major league start, New York could potentially have a lethal rotation for years to come, especially after Tong's impressive Triple-A debut.