The year 2015 was an incredible year in sports, and we can only hope that 2016 will be even better. Here’s a list of the 10 up-and-coming athletes we’re most excited to watch in the new year.



1. Carlos Correa

The 2015 AL Rookie of the Year is hardly an unknown to baseball fans after spending years atop national prospects lists before his excellent debut season. But at only 21 years old and already the focal point of a talented young Astros roster, Correa appears primed for super-stardom. With precocious power from the right side of the plate, good speed, great instincts and steady defense at the game’s most challenging position, the Puerto Rico native and former first-overall draft pick draws comparisons to a young Alex Rodriguez — and only in the good ways. Correa is charismatic, fully bilingual and oozing with talent, and looks ready to join Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Manny Machado in baseball’s latest wave of remarkable young players.

– Ted Berg

2. Todd Gurley

Todd Gurley ran for over 1,000 yards in the first 13 games of his NFL career despite missing the pre-season while recovering from an ACL injury. He did this while playing for the least-efficient offense in the league. If the Rams, who could end up in Los Angeles next year, can find a half-capable quarterback and create space for Gurley he could be the best running back in the league during his second season.

– Chris Korman

3. Katie Ledecky

The world’s most dominant athlete in 2015 (under-the-radar division) gets the big stage to herself in the first week of the Rio Olympics. How good is the Maryland teen? She’ll make another Maryland swimmer (Michael Phelps) below-the-fold news.

– Chris Chase

4. Ollie Schniederjans

As Tiger Woods and, more recently, Jordan Spieth have proven: A good amateur career is a solid indicator for eventual success in the professional ranks. If that logic holds true once again, then look no further than Ollie Schniederjans. The former No. 1 ranked amateur finished T-12 at the British Open in July and breezed to his Web.com Tour (the tour one below the PGA Tour) card this December. The 22-year-old will bounce between the two tours this year, but with heaps of power off the tee and a good short game, it won’t take him long to become a mainstay at the highest level.

“All I’m thinking about his getting my PGA Tour card,” Schniederjans said. “That’s my only goal right now, and I want to do it as fast as I can.”

– Luke Kerr-Dineen

5. Gedion Zelalem

American soccer fans will be watching 18-year-old Arsenal midfielder Gedion Zelalem closely in 2016, and while he’s still probably a few years away from becoming a regular for the USMNT, the creative midfielder looks to be developing quickly. Currently on loan with Scottish side Rangers, Zelalem has impressed and has featured in 11 of Rangers’ 17 games so far this season, an impressive feat for someone at age 18. Zelalem is getting stronger, the talent is there, and this could be the year he gets the call up with the big boys.

– Nate Scott

6. Artemi Panarin

Chicago Blackhawks’ rookie Artemi Panarin has a lot of people asking, wait, where did this kid come from? In a year when everyone expected to be talking about Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel for the Calder race, the 24-year-old from Russia is making a case for himself as the league’s most proficient rookie.

Panarin is a bit of a special case. He spent a few years in the KHL before coming to the US this season as an undrafted agent before signing with Chicago. Panarin wasted no time adjusting to his new team, and his new line mates, Artem Anisimov and league scoring leader Patrick Kane. Currently, Panarin leads all NHL rookies with 31 points. He has 21 assists and 10 goals. He ranks second in points for the Blackhawks behind Kane.

Just a year into his NHL career, Panarin has the speed and skill to make a big difference for the Blackhawks’ offensive production. It’s a fair bet that he only goes up from here.

– Hemal Jhaveri

7. Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis went from being the Knicks’ mercilessly booed draft pick to a New York fan favorite within months. The rookie notched 12 double-doubles and secured more than 100,000 Twitter followers in 2015. The hype will only continue growing around him in 2016, especially as the 20-year-old’s skill set improves. Plus, he’s so freaking fun to watch, and every single time he talks to a reporter, his words are pure gold — “I got that European swag.” If you’re not pumped to see Porzingis flourish as the hero NYC so desperately needs in the coming year, then you have no soul.

– Alysha Tsuji

8. CJ McCollum

C.J. McCollum doesn’t “play basketball.” C.J. McCollum ​​hoops​​. No matter what game he’s playing in or the size of the crowd, it feels like he’s holding court at the park and having to shoot to see who gets ball first. When the Portland Trail Blazers lost four starters in the offseason, it was understood that McCollum was going to be shouldering a bigger offensive load. But what no one could’ve predicted was how he’d flourish in his new starring role. His handles are just as hypnotizing as they ever were, but McCollum’s jumper has gotten more reliable over last year, and he’s fast becoming one of the league’s best scorers.

– Micah Peters

9. Paul Pogba

One of the biggest blemishes on Sir Alex Ferguson’s storied career at Manchester United has got to be letting a willowy French teenager named Paul Pogba go to Juventus on a free transfer in 2012. In the three short years since, Pogba has become one of world soccer’s most exciting talents, and could probably be the fix-all for United’s current problems with their unimaginative attack, provided they’re willing to lop off the arm and leg it’ll cost to secure his services. It’s more likely that he’ll end up somewhere like PSG or Barcelona in the upcoming transfer window, but honestly I’ll settle for any team in a league with a good TV deal so I can watch him play to my heart’s content.

– Micah Peters

10. Breanna Stewart

UConn has long been the premiere program in women’s basketball, but this season it is taking that dominance a step further: Breanna Stewart has the chance to win four titles in her four years in college. She’s already amassed three most outstanding player trophies from her past three titles and so far this season the Huskies are out to an 11-0 start, with no team coming closer than within 10 points. Stewart’s shooting 61 percent from the floor and 46.9 percent from the 3. If you don’t think women’s basketball is worth watching, that’s fine, but this year that means you’ll likely be missing basketball history in Storrs.

– Nina Mandell