Toledo, Ohio— Former Toledo baseball player Ross Adolph was named the 2018 Sterling Award winner for the New York Mets' Single-A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones, the organization announced.

The Mets hand out a Sterling Award to each of their nine minor league affiliates that is intended to honor each team's most valuable player.

Adolph's first professional season was a roaring success. The Findlay, Ohio native was a New York Penn League All-Star and was named the game's MVP after going 2-for-3 with a triple and a home run. He hit .276 for the Cyclones, driving in 35 runs and collecting 28 extra-base hits, including seven home runs. Adolph ranked third in the NYPL in OPS (.857), slugging (.509), and runs scored (47) and also stole 14 bases to boot.

Adolph was selected by the Mets in the 12th round of the MLB Rule 4 Draft in June, becoming the 46th player in program history to be drafted. An All-American and all-region performer this past season, he turned in one of the best seasons by a Rocket hitter ever in 2018. The first-team All-MAC and All-MAC Defensive Team selection tied the program's single-season home run record with 15, tied for most in the Mid-American Conference. He also led the MAC in RBIs (56) and was tops on the squad with 50 runs scored, 69 hits, 12 stolen bases, a .654 slugging percentage and a .445 on-base percentage. He became the first Rocket with double-digit home runs since 2010 (Jared Hoying and Dan Sherwood, 10).