Standout rookies are awesome. Their intriguing talent and imperfect games give us something to discuss and pick apart. Pundits make projections, while overzealous fans jump to conclusions—good and bad. Some kid will be called a future superstar too soon. Another will be prematurely labeled a bust. 2016 should deliver us its share of compelling rookies to follow. From basketball to mixed martial arts, notable athletes are ready to make a splash in their respective sports. This slideshow will list 25 of the first-year pros you should be aware of this year. The Louisiana State University Tigers' one-and-done phenom Ben Simmons made a splash in college basketball during the 2015-16 season. Let's start things off with him. From the standpoint of basketball-related skills and physical gifts, Louisiana State University's Ben Simmons has the best collection of qualities we've seen in some time. At 6'10", 225 pounds[1], Simmons has the size of a power forward, the handle of a guard and the athleticism of a swingman. He has a high basketball IQ and the requisite nastiness to be a top-flight competitor. As a freshman, Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and two steals per game. He also shot 56 percent from the field. Despite that production, Simmons couldn't lead a lackluster LSU team to the NCAA tournament. To no one's surprise, he announced his intentions to enter the 2016 NBA draft. Even though he put up astronomical numbers for the Tigers, experts such as Jonathan Givony of The Vertical[2] question his heart and basketball character. "Simmons' lack of competitiveness in some crucial games has raised questions about his character as a basketball player," Givony wrote. "While many top picks succumb to the NBA star lifestyle and emerge as average competitors, it's rare to see that at the collegiate level." Those are valid concerns, but some of the same things[3] were said about Andre Drummond while he was at Connecticut. No one is saying that now. Simmons should still be the No. 1 pick, but he'll have to prove naysayers wrong from the moment he steps on the practice court with his new team. The Los Angeles Dodgers have had 16 players[4] win the Rookie of the Year award. That's by far the most in major league history. It's been 20 years since the Dodgers' Todd Hollandsworth earned the honor in 1996, but Corey Seager is a great candidate to stop the drought. The young shortstop has all the tools to become a great player. Seager stands 6'4" and weighs 215 pounds. As he grows into his frame, the 21-year-old may outgrow his position and move to third base. For now, it's easy to see him as a young Cal Ripken Jr. who hits from the left side. Seager played a key role in the Dodgers' late-season run to the postseason in 2015, but he is still technically a rookie because he didn't exceed 130 at-bats or spend more than 45 days on the active roster. MLB.com[5] lists him as the top prospect in the majors, and he's one to watch throughout the 2016 season. Barring an unsuspected occurrence, North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz will be the first signal-caller taken in the 2016 NFL draft. It appears as though the Cleveland Browns could select him with the No. 2 pick, but there's even a chance Wentz goes No. 1. The Tennessee Titans have the top pick, but they don't need a quarterback after drafting Marcus Mariota in the 2015 draft. The Titans could be open to dealing the pick to a team that is looking to leapfrog the Browns. According to USA Today's John Glennon (h/t Sean Wagner-McGough of CBSSports.com[6]), talks have intensified on this front. The likely object of that trade-up team's affection would be Wentz. While he hails from a smaller program, his intangibles, physical traits and experience in a pro-style offense have scouts buzzing. Where he lands and how he performs as a rookie will be one of the NFL's biggest stories in 2016. If a team trades up to get him, it'll make the Wentz story all the more compelling. At 37 years old, CM Punk is by far the oldest rookie on this list, but his debut in the UFC—assuming it actually happens in 2016—will be the biggest opening act of all. Punk, whose given name is Phil Brooks, rose to fame as one of the most talented and influential WWE Superstars of the past 15 years. He left the promotion and decided to pursue a career as a mixed martial artist back in December 2014. Punk's first opponent was set to be up-and-comer Mickey Gall. UFC President Dana White proposed the former WWE champion's debut would take place at UFC 199 in June[7]. However, a back injury forced CM Punk to have surgery in February. As a guest on The MMA Hour with MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani[8] on March 29, Punk talked about the procedure and reaffirmed he would indeed fight in 2016. There's no date yet, but the world will be watching when he steps into the Octagon for the first time. According to Bill Placzek of DraftSite.com[9], 19-year-old Auston Matthews has the goods to become a future NHL All-Star. Placzek writes: Arizona-born forward who has size, speed and scoring ability and has displayed it since he was 16 years of age with dominant performances against older juniors. Uses his size and smarts to dominate. If he had been born two days earlier, he would have been the third selection in 2015. A mature player who displays a high skill set, powerful skating feet, and a bigger frame that allows him to make space and breach the offensive zone. It's amazing that a kid from Arizona would become so adept at hockey. Most expect him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL draft. If he follows in the footsteps of last year's top two picks, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, Matthews should make an impact as a rookie. Top-flight rookie footballers don't normally make their professional debut in Major League Soccer, but that's the case with Jack Harrison. The 19-year-old was the No. 1 overall pick for the Chicago Fire this past January in the MLS Superdraft, but he was traded to New York City FC. Harrison spent time with the Manchester City Academy, but he'll take the first major steps of his pro career with the NYCFC. Unfortunately, those steps have been delayed by a pelvic injury that has kept him on the disabled list for the start of the MLS season. NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira says Harrison's debut is approaching. "Jack is feeling much better. It's just a question of time because we don't want him to come rush and then be out again," Vieira said, per Dylan Butler of MLSSoccer.com[10]. "It may take a bit longer, but when the players get back to the field we want them to stay on the field. This is the way we are going to work." When Harrison is healthy enough to play, you can bet his debut will be among the biggest for rookies in the MLS. Some would argue that Duke Blue Devils freshman Brandon Ingram is a better prospect than Simmons. The long and gangly Ingram has a body that resembles Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant and a similar skill set. As a freshman, the 6'9" 190-pounder averaged 17 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 41 percent from three-point range. The stats are impressive, and so are Ingram's leadership and competitiveness. He may not be the run-and-jump athlete that Simmons is, but most are more comfortable with Ingram's intangibles. Just like Seager, the Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton is another promising young player who spent time in the majors in 2015 but not enough to lose his rookie status. Buxton runs like a deer, is sure-handed in center field and has the potential to develop into a five-tool outfielder. In 2015, his bat wasn't up to snuff. He hit just .209 in 129 at-bats. The Twins are hoping his bat can catch up to his physical tools. If that happens in 2016, Buxton will be a leading candidate for American League Rookie of the Year. Depending on the mock draft you read, the California Golden Bears' Jared Goff could be selected anywhere from No. 2 to the Browns to No. 15 with the Los Angeles Rams. By most accounts, he seems to be behind Wentz on big boards. Goff faced better competition than Wentz in college, but his slight build (6'4", 215 lbs[11]) may worry some NFL scouts about his durability. According to NFL.com[12], both quarterbacks rate the same. Only time will tell which one separates himself from the other. No matter what happens at the draft, he and Wentz will forever be linked and compared to each other throughout their careers. Matthews will almost certainly be the top pick in the 2016 NHL draft, but Patrik Laine should be No. 2. At 6'4" 210 pounds, the 20-year-old from Finland is a winger who possesses a rare combination of size, skill, athleticism and instincts for the game. At his 6'4" size comes with terrific use of his reach and body to involve himself in the attack. Big guys with puck possession skills are difficult to find. He has a good head for reading the offensive zone attack, and has shown high level scoring touch that might lead to an even stronger upside down the road as he grows into his frame. It seems Laine has a chance to be an excellent two-way player in the NHL. He's another one who could find himself playing a significant role for his team in 2016. Before imploding on the final day of the 2016 Masters, Smylie Kaufman looked like a real threat to contend for his first major championship. The 24-year-old won once on the Web.com Tour in 2015 and had five top-10 finishes as well. Leading up to the Masters, Kaufman had already earned $2,007,938 on the PGA Tour[14] in 2016. While the Masters didn't end the way he would have liked it to, don't be surprised to see Kaufman's name near the top of the leaderboard in another major this year. At 20 years old, Chase Elliott already has five wins under his belt on the Xfinity series. Now, he's set to make his mark on the Sprint Cup series in 2016. On April 10, Elliott produced a career-best finish with the big boys at the Duck Commander 500. Elliott finished fifth, and there's every reason to believe he should continue to make his mark as one of NASCAR's top rookies. He is driving the iconic No. 24 car that was vacated by retired legend Jeff Gordon. There's a lot of pressure for him to produce, but up to now, he's proved he has the poise to compete at the highest level. It would be hard to find a collegiate player who developed more from his freshman year to his senior year than the Oklahoma Sooners' Buddy Hield. During his freshman season, he averaged 7.8 points per game while shooting just under 39 percent from the field. This past season, Hield scored 25 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field while making just under 46 percent from three-point range. Suddenly, Hield's draft stock has skyrocketed, and he could be selected within the first five picks. Hield is the new poster boy for staying all four years in college. How he performs as a rookie will be of interest to the entire basketball world. Joey Gallo is a freak. At 6'5", 235 pounds, the left-handed slugger in the Texas Rangers organization has some amazing tools. MLB.com[15] describes the upside and downside of Gallo's talent profile: Gallo's 6-foot-5 frame gives him tremendous strength and leverage, which combine with his electric bat speed and extremely aggressive approach to produce tape-measure shot after tape-measure shot. In his first four years as a pro, he averaged 51 homers per 162 games -- as well as 242 strikeouts. Gallo was clocked as high as 98 mph when he pitched in high school, and his arm gives him a second well-above-average tool. It's an asset at third base, but he may not stay there long term because he lacks the quickness and agility desired at the hot corner. Gallo is the ultimate all-or-nothing player. Every one of his at-bats holds the potential to produce a 450-foot bomb or an epic strikeout. He struggled to make consistent contact after his first week in the majors. Gallo has begun the 2016 season in the minors, but his power potential seems certain to land him back in the majors before the end of the year. Nothing positively impacts an NFL defense like a guy who can consistently get to the quarterback. By most accounts, the Ohio State Buckeyes' Joey Bosa can do that better than any prospect available in the 2016 NFL draft. The 6'5", 269-pounder[16] had 13.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2014. Statistically, he fell back a bit in 2015 with only five sacks. Still, Bosa was a player that offenses had to account for not only in passing situations but also against the run. At his pro day, Bosa ran the 40-yard dash in 4.77 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times. If his amazing athleticism and exemplary motor translate to the NFL, he could be one of the standout rookies in 2016. Like Elliott, Ryan Blaney is a rookie NASCAR driver who is in position to make his presence known in the Sprint Cup Series. The 22-year-old already has one top-10 finish on his record this year. He finished sixth at the Kobalt 400 just two races after producing a respectable 19th-place finish at the Daytona 500. While Blaney's No. 21 car from the Woods Brothers team doesn't have the immediate history that Elliott's No. 24 car has, there is a rich tradition for the High Point, North Carolina, native to uphold. The car has produced 91 wins[17] in its existence, and Blaney will be looking to add to that total. After being named the 2015 Web.com Tour Player of the Year, Patton Kizzire is another hot prospect to watch in golf in 2016. He's had four top-10 finishes already this season, but he's been plagued by inconsistency. Since February, he's already had four rounds with a 75 or higher[18]. Despite the fact that he is 6'5", 215 pounds, Kizzire isn't one of the Tour's biggest drivers—at least not yet. He stands 97th in driving distance at 290.5. It's the 30-year-old's putting game that has made him a player to watch. So far this year, he's eighth in shots gained[19] with the putter and has already sunk a putt from 73 feet, eight inches away from the hole in the fourth round at the Honda Classic in February. If he can steady himself, he'll be in the running for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. As the likely top point guard prospect in the 2016 NBA draft, the Providence Friars' Kris Dunn will be on a few teams' radars in June. At 6'4", 205 pounds[20], Dunn has ideal size for the position in today's NBA. He's a willing passer and defender who has shown himself to be a capable leader. As a senior, he averaged 16.4 points and 5.3 assists per game. If there's a question about Dunn, it has to be concerning his ball security. Dunn has never had a ratio of two assists to one turnover or better in his collegiate career. This past season, he averaged 3.5 turnovers per game. If he is to reach his potential, he'll have to learn to take better care of the basketball. On physical gifts alone, the UConn Huskies' Breanna Stewart might be the most gifted female basketball player of all time. She's 6'4" with a 7'1" wingspan[21], and she's athletic and mobile. Stewart is expected to be the top pick in the WNBA draft on April 14 when the Seattle Storm are on the clock. Stewart and the Lady Huskies won four straight national championships. She also won the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award in each of those runs. Stewart also won the Naismith Player of the Year Award the last three years. Not since Brittney Griner entered the league in 2013 has a WNBA rookie arrived with so much hype. Stewart will be looked at as a potential savior for the Storm and the next big thing in the WNBA. Seager, Buxton and Gallo all gained valuable experience during the 2015 season, but it's nothing compared to what the New York Mets' Steven Matz was exposed to. The 24-year-old went 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA in four starts during the 2015 regular season, but his year didn't end there. Matz had three starts during the Mets' World Series run. He had a record of 0-1 with an ERA of 3.68[22] in the playoffs and Fall Classic. Not many guys who are technically rookies can say they pitched in the World Series. Matz will be a key cog in the Mets' stout rotation all season. Without question, the best running back prospect in the 2016 NFL draft is the Ohio State Buckeyes' Ezekiel Elliott. NFL.com media analyst and recently retired defensive back Ike Taylor insists Elliott[23] could be a Hall of Famer if he's taken by the Dallas Cowboys at No. 4 (h/t NFL.com[24]). Elliott has the ideal combination of size (6'0", 225 lbs[25]) and speed (4.47 40-yard dash) to play running back in the NFL. Great offensive lines get backs to the second level, but elite ball-carriers make things happen from there. Elliott has every physical tool that would lead you to believe he can become one of those special running backs. Stewart gets most of the love when discussing top-notch WNBA prospects heading into the WNBA draft, but the Minnesota Golden Gophers' Rachel Banham is a baller. She scored 60 points in a game during the 2015-16 season and drained a memorable, side-fading, three-point buzzer-beater[26] to upend the Iowa Hawkeyes later in the year. When it comes to pure scorers, Banham can fill it up as well as anyone in the WNBA. Provided she stays healthy, a scoring title is in her future. Guys like Aaron Judge don't come around often in baseball. He's 6'7", 275 pounds and every bit as strong as you'd expect a 23-year-old with that size to be. The fact that he's in the New York Yankees organization only makes him an even bigger deal. He hasn't yet been able to put up the power numbers that are ultimately expected of him (41 home runs in 283 minor league games[27]), but he does hit for a relatively high average (.282). As you might expect, Judge strikes out a lot (304 strikeouts in 1,227 plate appearances), but he has the potential to grow into one of the more feared hitters in the majors. He has yet to make his major league debut, but MLB.com[28] estimates he should arrive with the big club this season. If you look up the term "combo guard" in the fictional basketball dictionary, a picture of Kentucky Wildcats freshman Jamal Murray should be there creating his own shot. The 6'5"[29] Canadian averaged 20 points per game while shooting 42 percent from three-point range. While his jump shot is his primary weapon, Murray does have the ability to get to the rim and finish. NBADraft.net[30] compares him to former NBA sharpshooter Jeff Hornacek, but Murray is a better athlete and perhaps not quite as good of a shooter. In any case, he projects to be one of the most skilled scorers heading into the NBA draft. Myles Jack is a football player. During his time with the UCLA Bruins, Jack showed his gridiron proficiency as a linebacker and running back. He has the athleticism to play either position in the NFL, but he will impact the game more as a middle linebacker or hybrid safety in the mold of Troy Polamalu or the Arizona Cardinals' Deone Bucannon. Jack suffered a knee injury that kept him off the field for all but three games of the 2015 season, but scouts didn't forget the impact he made as a true freshman and sophomore. He had 15 tackles for loss in 19 games and 178 in total. At 6'1", 245 pounds[31], the 20-year-old is a freakish athlete. He already showed off a 40-inch vertical leap at his pro day. Per Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com[32], one NFL general manager said Jack could be a faster Ray Lewis. Like all of the players on this list, we'll see what he can do this year.
Ben Simmons is the latest hoops phenom who will likely be looked to as the savior for a struggling franchise.
References
- ^ 6'10", 225 pounds (espn.go.com)
- ^ Jonathan Givony of The Vertical (sports.yahoo.com)
- ^ some of the same things ( www.draftexpress.com)
- ^ 16 players (www.baseball-reference.com)
- ^ MLB.com (m.mlb.com)
- ^ Sean Wagner-McGough of CBSSports.com (www.cbssports.com)
- ^< /small> UFC 199 in June (www.mmafighting.com)
- ^ MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani (www.mmafighting.com)
- ^ Bill Placzek of DraftSite.com (www.draftsite.com)
- ^ Dylan Butler of MLSSoccer.com (www.mlssoccer.com)
- ^ 6'4", 215 lbs (www.nfl.com)
- ^ NFL.com (www.nfl.com)
- ^ Placzek (www.draftsite.com)
- < a href="#readabilityLink-14" title="Jump to Link in Article">^ $2,007,938 on the PGA Tour (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ MLB.com (m.mlb.com)
- ^ 6'5", 269-pounder (www.nfl.com)
- ^ 91 wins (www.foxsports.com)
- ^ 75 or higher (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ eighth in shots gained (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 6'4", 205 pounds (www.draftexpress.com)
- ^ 6'4" with a 7'1" wingspan (www.wnba.com)
- ^ 0-1 with an ERA of 3.68 (www.baseball-reference.com)
- ^ insists Elliott (www.nfl.com)
- ^ h/t NFL.com (www.nfl.com)
- ^ 6'0", 225 lbs (www.nfl.com)
- ^ three-point buzzer-beater (btn.com)
- ^ 4 1 home runs in 283 minor league games (www.baseball-reference.com)
- ^ MLB.com (m.mlb.com)
- ^ 6'5" (espn.go.com)
- ^ NBADraft.net (www.nbadraft.net)
- ^ 6'1", 245 pounds (www.nfl.com)
- ^ Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com (www.cbssports.com)
Source → Top 25 Rookies to Watch for During the Rest of 2016
