The four main American sports, baseball, football, hockey, and basketball have so much riding on them in the public eye, and that carries over to the players. It is truly incredible to see some of the superstars of their sports carry the weight of having the nation’s eyes on them at all times. What’s even crazier is seeing those superstars handle that pressure all while not even being of legal drinking age in America. Here are the ten best players in major American (and Canadian) sports under 21.
No 1 Patrick Laine, Winnipeg Jets. Laine won’t even turn 20 until 20 days from now and he’s already the best player in sports under 21. The Finnish goal scorer is second in the NHL in goals scored with 43 goals in only his second NHL season. He is also leading the Winnipeg Jets to what will likely be their best season in franchise history. At 19, he is already a bona fide superstar with an insane potential as a goal scorer for years to come.
No 2 Ronald Acuna, Atlanta Braves. Unlike almost every player on this list, Acuna has never played a single game at the highest level of his sport, but his potential is immense as he will play the entire 2018 MLB season (once he gets called up) as a 20 year old. If this list were done when Mike Trout and Bryce Harper were under 21, they surely would have been at or around the top, and Acuna has down comparisons to both of them. The 2017 Minor Leaguer of the year and Arizona Fall League MVP should show huge things in his 20 year old season
No 3 Auston Mathews, Toronto Maple Leafs. Mathews, 20, is the reason Laine didn’t win the Caldler trophy for best rookie last season and also wasn’t drafted number one overall in the 2016 draft. And although Laine’s breakout season has led him to pass Mathews, Mathews is still a star with the Leafs and a complete game changer in every game he plays in. In his two seasons in Toronto he has been the points leader for a Leafs team that will make the playoffs for a second straight time and only a third time in the last 13 seasons.
No 4 Dennis Smith Jr, Dallas Mavericks. The North Carolina native is averaging the fourth most points among all NBA rookies at only 20 years old. On a pretty dreadful Mavs team, Smith has been a huge bright spot with years of success to come.
No 5 Sam Darnold. Like Acuna, Darnold has never played a game at the highest level, and unlike Acuna, he doesn’t even belong to a team. But Darnold, 20, has a chance to be the number one pick in the NFL draft and is getting comparisons to the likes of John Elway. Darnold could be a huge savior for whichever team drafts him, with huge superstar potential.
No 6 Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics. Tatum, 20, was drafted 3rd overall by the Celtics out of Duke and has been a great contributor so far. He is averaging 13.7 points per game on the season and 16.7 in his last ten games, already showing improvement. He is on a great team, and to already be contributing at 20 years old is a huge plus.
No 7 Victor Robles, Washington Nationals. The other baseball player on this list is also in the NL east. Robles. The number six prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, only saw 27 plate appearances last season, but he hit 2 triples in that span. He won’t see MLB time at the beginning of the season, but should work his way into the lineup by midseason and take over as the teams star next year if Bryce Harper leaves in free agency.
No 8 De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings. Fox was an NCAA superstar last year with Kentucky and was drafted fifth overall by the Kings. He may not have the most NBA hype, but he’s been a steady player for a bad team that is showing signs of excellence to come.
No 9 Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers. Ball on the other hand has had a ton of hype, and has played decently amid it. He still has growth to realize, but the 20 year old is still having a solid rookie season averaging 10.2 points per game and 7.2 assists per game.
No 10 Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders. Barzal has 78 points in 77 games and has an excellent shot at the Caldler trophy. The 2015, 16th overall pick has developed extraordinarily well.
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