25 is an age that has garnered a new meaning in sports over the recent decade; back in the old days 25 might have meant you were a young man full of potential. Today, by the time you reach 25 the sports world has made up its mind on what you can be. So, today we will take a look across sports at the greatest athletes under 25.
5. Odell Beckham Jr.
Photo: @SprtBrackets | Twitter
Odell Beckham Jr. (sorry, no relation to David) comes in 5th on my list of greatest athletes under 25. OBJ has only played in two seasons in the NFL, but his impact is unforgettable at this point. Through his first 24 games of his career no one in NFL history has caught more passes, had more receiving yards, or more touchdowns than this young phenom. Throw in his flair for the dramatic and his onfield acrobatic plays and you have one of the most intriguing young stars in all of sports. The play that put Beckham on the nation's radar was his unbelievable catch on Sunday Night Football in his rookie season versus the Dallas Cowboys. Some consider it the greatest catch of all time. Judge for yourself.
The reason Odell comes in 5th and not higher is that the others athletes on this list have just accomplished more to this point in their careers, but if he continues to make plays at the rate he is going he is definitely going to have one of the most prolific careers of all time.
4. Anthony Davis
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Coming in at number 4 on this list is an athlete known for his incredible athleticism and his incredibly awful unibrow. Someone buy that man some tweezers! At 23 many NBA aficionados already consider Anthony Davis a top 5 player in the league. Coming out of High School he was the number 1 overall recruit for his class. In his one season at the University of Kentucky he helped lead his team to a 38-2 overall record and a National Championship. In that season he was named 1st team All-American, National Player of the year, National Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. All that success made him the number 1 overall pick in the NBA draft the following season. In his short career in the NBA he has been named to the All-Star team 3 times, and was named 1st team All-NBA just last season. What separates Davis from most other players is that he has the ball handling skills of a guard, the shooting range of a guard, but is 6’ 10”. His rare size and ability makes him an absolute mismatch for anyone trying to defend him, and then you throw in his defensive prowess and he is a rare talent. Check out some of his highlights.
3. Bryce Harper
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The 3rd best athlete on my list might be the most polarizing athlete in America. Controversy has followed Harper his entire career. At age 15, this future star was turning heads in high school in Las Vegas and caught the attention of every scout in America. Some of his stats seemed like Paul Bunyan tales, not the least of which include a reported 570 foot home run. At age 16 he was on the cover of magazines like ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Instead of taking the “normal” childhood path Harper decided to forgo his High School career and after only his sophomore season he earned his GED so that he could be eligible for the MLB draft in 2010. This decision caused a bit of a stir as it had not been done before or since, and some wondered is he all hype. At age 17 Harper become the number 1 overall pick in the MLB draft, and after a very short career in the minor leagues he made his Major League debut in April of 2012 at the age of 19. It was one of the youngest debuts ever.
He struggled as a rookie but was still named a starter in the MLB All-Star game. He caught flack for his attitude and excessive eye-black use. Baseball is a league with a lot of tradition and many old school unwritten rules and he has never played by them. In a recent article Harper is quoted as saying he is the best player in baseball, and that he is about to change the game. He is trying to bring the flash soccer stars wield to baseball on and off the field. Harper said, "Endorsements, fashion -- it's something baseball doesn't see. In soccer, it's Beckham or Ronaldo. In basketball, it's Curry and LeBron. In football, it's Cam. Football and basketball have such good fashion." Last season was Harper’s true breakout season, hitting 42 homers and winning the National League MVP. At age 23 his hair flipping and trash talking is going to be front and center of the baseball world for many years to come, and maybe that’s not a bad thing.
His ability could lead him to sign the biggest contract in the history of sports when he hits free agency in 2 years. His estimated value is around $400 million for his next contract, and it’s plays like these that will lead someone to pay him that or more. Remember that no matter how effortless it may look to him, hitting a baseball is one of it not the hardest things to do in all of sports, and he makes it look like its no big deal.
2. Mike Trout
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Number 2 looks to baseball once again with 24-year-old Mike Trout. Right now, the ceiling for what Trout can reach is higher than anyone else in recent baseball history. Trout and Harper are baseball’s closest equivalent to what we have in soccer with Ronaldo and Messi. They are rivals because they are contemporaries. They are both under 25, were drafted in the same year, rookies in the same year, and are two of the greatest talents the sport has ever seen. Why Trout is on this list ahead of Bryce Harper is simple: he’s better. In their careers, which are equal in length up to this point, Trout has a better batting average, more hits, more home runs, more RBI’s, more runs scored and more stolen bases than Harper. He won Rookie of the Year in 2012. He has been an All Star every year he has played and was been voted All-Star MVP twice. In his 4 seasons in the major leagues Trout has won 1 MVP award and finished 2nd in MVP voting every other year.
He is Lionel Messi in baseball and Harper isf Ronaldo. Harper may be great, but if I’ve got a choice give me Trout every day of the week. The only advantage I think Harper has over Trout is that his swing is more conducive. But that being said, what separates Mike Trout from all the other young baseball players is his defense. Here are a few of his greatest plays.
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1. Neymar
Photo: @messi10stats | Twitter
Ok, so we are at the #1 athlete under 25 and it should come as no surprise to anyone that the best, most accomplished athlete on this list is Neymar. When it comes to ability and agility on this list, there is no one higher than Neymar. What he does on the pitch is nothing short of masterful, and his speed and ball control is absolutely incredible. Neymar is on pace to be the greatest goal scorer of all-time for the Brazilian National team, and when you consider the amount of great soccer players that have donned that jersey, that is remarkable.
His play this past year was so good that it prompted a third place finish in the Ballon d’or, behind only Messi and Ronaldo. His 45 goals were only 3 behind those two greats. It will be interesting to see if, now that he's approaching the age of 25 and Messi and Ronaldo are a few years his senior, Neymar can take the next step to being “the star” in soccer.
In reality, making a list such as this is, in practice, splitting hairs, but the facts are that Neymar is the face of the Brazilian soccer right now. He is the best “young”, under 25, star we have in soccer. Because he is young I like to believe that we have not yet seen the best of what he he has to offer, and that only time will tell us how great he can be. "Records are meant to be broken" is the saying, so I say Neymar, with your skills like this, go break them.
