The Top 10 Rookie Performances of 2014
The year isn't over, but the 2014 rookie class has already left its mark.
Jose Abreu dazzled us in the summer with his monster home runs. The winter was ruled by Nathan MacKinnon, an NHL scoring prodigy with endless potential. And with one catch, Odell Beckham Jr. caused an Internet firestorm while putting himself and the New York Giants back on the map.
If this year was any indication, the future of professional sports is in good hands. Let's celebrate the start of something special by counting down the top rookies of 2014.
To be clear, potential was not a determining factor in coming up with these rankings. They are based strictly on what each player has already accomplished.
Honorable Mentions
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Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers
Kelvin Benjamin has been a bright spot in an otherwise listless offense, leading the Carolina Panthers in both touchdowns (eight) and receiving yards (768). At 6'5" and 240 pounds, it's no wonder he is such a terror inside the red zone.
From scoring the game-winning touchdown in the national championship to manipulating his draft position by running a half-hearted 40, Benjamin has had an eventful 2014.
If the Panthers somehow squeeze past the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, Benjamin could be taking his act to the postseason. Consider yourselves warned, defensive backs of the NFC.
Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds
Speed is Billy Hamilton's middle name. Actually it isn't, but it should be.
Hamilton has speed for days and showed it last season by leading the Cincinnati Reds with 56 stolen bases. That figure was the highest ever by a Reds rookie.
Sure, he didn't hit for much power (six homers in 563 at-bats), but that's not why the Reds drafted him. They have him because he can run, and because he makes catches like this.
No. 10: Ondrej Palat, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning
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As a seventh-round pick in 2011, not much was expected of Ondrej Palat. That didn't stop him from becoming one of the best young scorers in hockey.
Palat finished second in scoring among rookies (59 points) and was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, though Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon would ultimately win the award.
Palat and Tyler Johnson formed one of the best rookie scoring duos we've seen in ages, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Tampa Bay suffered a first-round exit, but with Palat firing on all cylinders, the Bolts should make it further in 2015.
No. 9: Michael Carter-Williams, G, Philadelphia 76ers
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Truth be told, it wasn't a great year for NBA rookies. With that said, Carter-Williams was easily the best of the bunch, leading all first-year players in assists per game (6.3), rebounds (6.2) and scoring (16.7).
MCW made history by becoming the third player to average more than 16 points, six rebounds and six assists during his rookie season. The others were Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. Maybe you've heard of them.
Unfortunately, reality is setting in for the former Syracuse guard. Teams have exploited his weak shooting, limiting him to a 34.4 field-goal percentage during his sophomore season.
To make matters worse, the Philadelphia 76ers are 0-15 right now and may end up being one of the worst teams in NBA history. But they're still good at dancing—right, Nerlens Noel?
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No. 8: Jacob DeGrom, SP, New York Mets
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Lately, the New York Mets have been coming up aces.
First, they uncovered a gem in Matt Harvey. Zack Wheeler, an asset acquired in the Carlos Beltran trade, soon followed. Now Jacob deGrom is the one rapidly approaching Cy Young status.
His 2014 season was one of the best rookie campaigns in recent memory. According to ESPN Stats and Information, he's only the fifth National League rookie to average a strikeout per inning with an ERA lower than 2.75.
Might the Mets be a contender in 2015? The jury is still out on that one, but we know deGrom and his lowercase "d" are going to make things tough for opposing hitters.
No. 7: Andrew Wiggins, G, Kansas Jayhawks/Minnesota Timberwolves
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It's hard to say if Andrew Wiggins has lived up to his massive hype. But even if he hasn't, he's still one heck of a player.
Wiggins starred at the University of Kansas last season, leading the Jayhawks in points per game (17.1), steals (1.2) and minutes (32.8). As expected, he was picked first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 NBA draft.
The real surprise came about two months later when Cleveland traded Wiggins to Minnesota along with the previous year's No. 1 pick, Anthony Bennett. That made Wiggins only the second No. 1 pick to be traded without playing a game for the team he was drafted by. The other was Chris Webber in 1993.
So far, Wiggins hasn't disappointed. He leads all rookies in scoring at 11.9 points per game.
No. 6: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
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Forget about the catch.
If that was your first exposure to the greatness that is Odell Beckham Jr., you haven't been paying attention. He was a rock star at LSU and was taken 12th overall in the 2014 NFL draft.
The circus catches, the crazy touchdown celebrations, the frosted tips—this was all part of New York's grand plan. Beckham ranks ninth in the league in receiving yards per game, and he's only going up from there.
Last year, the G-Men gave Victor Cruz a fat new contract. They shouldn't have. The future of Giants football has arrived, and his name is Odell Beckham Jr.
No. 5: Jabari Parker, F, Duke Blue Devils/Milwaukee Bucks
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Sorry for Jabari? Nice try, Bill Simmons, but that just doesn't roll off the tongue.
Either way, the Milwaukee Bucks were rewarded handsomely for their lousy play, landing the Duke forward with the No. 2 pick in this year's NBA draft.
The impact has been almost immediate. The Bucks have the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 10-7. That's a game-and-a-half better than LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers.
Parker's college career ended rather abruptly (Duke opened the NCAA tournament with a loss to Mercer), but that shouldn't take away from any of his accomplishments. He was a first-team All-American while leading the Blue Devils in scoring (19.1), rebounding (8.7) and blocked shots (1.2) per game. He was the obvious choice for ACC Freshman of the Year.
No. 4: Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche
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The Colorado Avalanche hadn't been competitive in quite some time, but that changed as soon as they drafted Nathan MacKinnon. He led the team to its first playoff berth in four years, adding 10 points in Colorado's opening-round loss to Minnesota.
MacKinnon was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie, becoming the youngest player to receive that honor.
Though Colorado hasn't gotten off to a great start, MacKinnon has remained effective during his sophomore season. He leads the Avalanche with 17 points in 23 contests.
No. 3: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Mike Evans doesn't get to play with Johnny Manziel anymore, but maybe that isn't such a bad thing.
While Manziel continues to melt away on Cleveland's bench, Evans is having a terrific rookie year, leading all first-year receivers in yards (841) and yards per catch (17.2). He's also tied with Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin for the lead in rookie touchdown receptions (eight).
The Texas A&M alumnus is on pace for 1,223 receiving yards. That would be the most by a rookie wideout since Anquan Boldin collected 1,377 yards in 2003. If Evans had a better quarterback throwing to him, who knows what kind of absurd numbers he would be putting up.
As a fantasy owner of Vincent Jackson, I have not appreciated Evans' weekly touchdown vulturing. Come on, Mike. Work with me here.
No. 2: Masahiro Tanaka, SP, New York Yankees
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It's a shame a partially torn UCL caused Masahiro Tanaka to miss most of the second half. He was virtually unstoppable before the injury, compiling a minuscule 2.51 ERA over 129.1 innings in the first half.
Tanaka was especially dominant in his home park, limiting opponents to a .209 average in 10 starts at Yankee Stadium. His loss to the Chicago Cubs in May was his first in almost two years; he had won 26 consecutive decisions in Japan's Pacific League before joining the New York Yankees.
After we were denied it in 2014, let's hope the much-anticipated Tanaka vs. Yu Darvish matchup finally materializes in 2015.
No. 1: Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox
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Jose Abreu had this one in the bag.
The Cuban slugger was even better than advertised, launching 36 home runs in his first year in Major League Baseball. The scary thing is that he got better as the season went on; he hit .350 after the All-Star break compared to .292 before it.
Abreu's 36 jacks were the most by a first-year player since Albert Pujols hit 37 in 2001. I'm pretty sure this home run against Trevor Cahill is still going.
With all the offensive accolades, it wouldn't have been a big deal if Abreu let his defense slip a little. That didn't happen. His .994 fielding percentage was fourth-best among American League first basemen.
Calling this a great rookie season wouldn't be doing it justice. Abreu's first year in the majors was a masterpiece.
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