By Steve Gardner via USA Today
It’s been said that “youth is wasted on the young.” But that’s not true in all cases — especially in professional sports.
While an athlete’s career can take any number of paths, the best of the best show excellence at a very young age.
Take, for example, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who turns 25 on Thursday. In just two seasons as a starter, he’s won an NFL MVP award and led his team to a Super Bowl championship. That’s a pretty solid resume already.
If anyone were foolish enough to compile a list of the top athletes 25 and under, Mahomes would certainly have to be included. But who else would make the cut?
Here are 25 more 25-and-under sports stars who are precociously prolific in accumulating athletic accolades:
Ronald Acuña Jr., 22, baseball. The Atlanta Braves outfielder won the National League rookie of the year award in 2018, then followed it up with an All-Star campaign in 2019. He led the NL last season in runs scored (127) and stolen bases (37), while hitting 41 homers and driving in 101 runs for the NL East champions.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 25, basketball. The 2019 NBA MVP and this season’s defensive player of the year, the 6-foot-11 “Greek Freak” has been named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team in each of the past four seasons, the last two as team captain. The Milwaukee Bucks forward averaged a career-high 29.5 points and 13.6 rebounds this season.
Saquon Barkley, 23, football. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the New York Giants running back scored 11 touchdowns and led the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage as a rookie. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season despite playing in only 13 games. Read more from USA Today
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