Youngest Athletes to Dominate Their Sport

In his rookie season of 1966-1967, Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr immediately established himself as one of the best players in the NHL, earning his first of nine straight All-Star selections. The next season, Orr — still a teenager — won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL and finished fourth in MVP voting. He would go on to win the Norris Trophy seven more times in a row, racking up three Hart Trophies as NHL MVP, and winning two Stanley Cups.

By the time he turned 22, Bryce Harper was a seasoned pro, having played three MLB seasons. Harper’s fourth season was his best by far — he led the NL in runs scored and home runs, with 42. Harper also led all of baseball with a .460 on-base percentage. He was awarded the NL MVP for that season, which is especially impressive given that many players are still in the minor leagues at 22.

In 1983, Dan Marino set the NFL ablaze at age 23. After a solid rookie season, the Dolphins QB smashed several NFL records the next year, setting the single-season passing yardage record at 5,084 yards, as well as the passing touchdown record with 48 TDs. Both records stood for at least 20 years and doubled his previous season’s totals.

Dwight Gooden dazzled Mets fans as a 19-year-old in 1984, leading the majors with 276 strikeouts and a 2.60 ERA, good for Rookie of the Year. The next year, at 20, Gooden played even better. He posted a sparkling 1.53 ERA and a 24-4 record. Gooden was overpowering, leading the major in strikeouts again, with 268. He also led the NL in innings pitched, throwing 16 complete games.

In 1983, running back Eric Dickerson smashed the rookie rushing record with the Los Angeles Rams — and no player has come close since. The product from Southern Methodist University rushed for 1,808 yards that season, demolishing the previous record by more than 100 yards. No other player has ever gotten to 1,700 in their debut season. Dickerson continued to improve, posting the single season rushing record in 1984, with 2,105 yards, that stands to this day.

Few players have had the same star power as Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Many Mexican-American fans were excited to finally see a Mexican player dominate in the big leagues. This led to an attendance bump and an air of excitement around the ballpark dubbed “Fernandomania.” Valenzuela threw an astonishing eight complete game shutouts his rookie year, along with an MLB-leading 180 strikeouts in the strike-shortened 1981 season. He posted a 2.48 ERA. Valenzuela was not only the Rookie of the Year, but also won the Cy Young award as the best pitcher in the NL. His dream season had a perfect ending, as Valenzuela’s Dodgers won the World Series

In his 1975 rookie season, Boston’s Fred Lynn wasn’t just the best rookie, but the best player in the entire league. Lynn was locked in at the plate, batting .331 with an MLB-leading 47 doubles. He was also a terrific defender, winning a Gold Glove as the best defensive center fielder in the AL. The 23-year-old became the first rookie in MLB history to win MVP. The only other to do it since was Ichicro Suzuki, who had played professionally in Japan for years before his rookie season in the MLB.

The moment he entered the NFL, Jim Brown was head and shoulders the best player in the league. His rookie season of 1957, Brown won NFL MVP, leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns — then he got better. At 22, Brown set an NFL rushing record in his second season, racking up 1,527 yards in just 12 games and winning his second straight MVP.

Lawrence Taylor had one of the most impressive debut seasons of any defensive football player. He started all 16 games, made the Pro Bowl, was named to the All-Pro team, won Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as the overall Defensive Player of the Year award. LT would go on to become arguably the greatest defensive player in NFL history, racking up 10 Pro Bowls, 8 All-Pro nods, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, an MVP, and two Super Bowls in his Hall of Fame career.

There may be no player in NBA history who entered the league with as much hype as LeBron James. He was one of the most prolific rookies in NBA history, but it was in his second season that James demonstrated his full potential. In that 2004-2005 season, James upped his scoring by more than six points per game to more than 27 points, while averaging 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, earning his first All-Star team selections of many.

In his first year in the NBA, Luka Dončić put himself in elite company. The Dallas Mavericks rookie became just the fourth teenager in NBA history to average 20 points per game, joining LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant. Dončić‘s 21.2 point per game average his rookie season is actually the highest among that group. The young Slovenian also posted 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, winning Rookie of the Year.

Mike Trout can do it all on the baseball diamond, and he’s been doing it since he was a rookie. His first full season in 2012, the Los Angeles Angels center fielder hit .326 and led the majors with 49 stolen bases. He also scored 129 runs, more than any other player. In that season, Trout posted a 10.5 WAR, meaning he helped his team earn 10.5 more wins than a replacement-level player at his position would have. At age 20, he was the youngest player in MLB history to break 10 WAR for a season. Trout won Rookie of the Year and finished second in MVP voting.

Oscar Robertson was one of the most versatile basketball players in history. Though he played point guard, he could score like a shooting guard and rebound like a center. In his rookie season, Robertson scored a staggering 30.5 points per game to go along with 10.1 rebounds and an NBA-leading 9.7 assists. Robertson not only made the All-Star team that year, but also won the All-Star Game MVP.

NFL quarterback may be the most difficult position to learn in professional sports, but Patrick Mahomes mastered it in just his first season as a starter. After sitting on the bench for his rookie year, the Kansas City Chiefs QB came in and dominated in year two. He led the league in touchdown passes with 50, and threw for over 5,000 yards on his way to NFL MVP.

Rick Nash was the first overall draft pick in the 2002 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. His selection paid off soon, as Nash won the Richard Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top goal scorer, in just his second pro season. Nash lit the lamp 41 times in his second season. He was especially lethal on power plays, scoring 19 power play goals to lead the league.

Shaquille O’Neal was seen as a can’t-miss prospect out of college. And once he made it to the NBA, he rarely missed his shots. In his second season, the Big Diesel led the NBA with a 59.9% field goal percentage and averaged 29.3 points per game. Since he was over seven feet tall at just 21, O’Neal was able to overpower more experienced opponents, grabbing 13.2 rebounds per game as well.

Sidney Crosby more than lived up to his pre-draft hype. After scoring 102 points in his rookie year, he continued to improve. By year two, at just age 19, Crosby was the NHL’s best player. He scored a league-leading 120 points — 36 goals and 84 assists — and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP.

Stan Musial’s 1943 season was one of the most dominant in baseball history. At 22, Musial had 220 hits, 48 doubles, 20 triples, a .357 batting average, and a .425 on-base percentage — all of which led the majors. The Cardinals outfielder made his first All-Star team and won his first of three MVPs. This would establish him as one of the best hitters of all time and a surefire Hall of Famer.

In 2010, Steven Stamkos became just the second teenage hockey player to lead the NHL in goals scored in a season. The 19-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning center was in just his second season when he scored 51 times to win the Richard Trophy. Stamkos would go on to lead the NHL in goals again in the 2011-2012 season.

Tom Barrasso mastered the position of NHL goaltender faster than any other player in history. In his first season, when he was just 18, Barrasso allowed just 2.85 goals per game with an 89.3% save percentage. For this performance, he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, as well as the Vezina Trophy as top goalie. To this day, Barrasso remains the youngest player to win the Vezina by several years. He would go on to win two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Tony Conigliaro is one of the great “what ifs” in sports history. The Red Sox slugger still holds the record for most home runs as a teenager, with 24 in the 1964 season, when he was just 19. The next year, he led the AL with 32 home runs, and his career had an upward trajectory, until 1967. Conigliaro was hit in the face by a fastball that broke his jaw and damaged his eye. Tony C sat out the next season and seemed to be back to his old self the next year. Conigliaro tried to keep playing, but his eyesight worsened and forced him to retire at just 26 years old. He briefly returned years later, but never found the form of his early years.

Vida Blue’s first full season was by far his best — not to mention one of the greatest single-season pitching performances baseball has ever seen. The 21-year-old went 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA, the lowest in the AL. The Oakland A’s pitcher also had the lowest hit rate and the highest strikeout rate in the AL. He made his first All-Star team and earned the AL MVP and Cy Young Award as the AL’s best pitcher.

The legend of Wayne Gretzky started early. In his first NHL season at age 19, The Great One led the NHL in points, with 137, and assists, with 86. Gretzky made his first All-Star team. He also won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP — it would be the first of his record nine Hart Trophies in his career.

Wilt Chamberlain may be the most dominant athlete in American sports history, so it makes sense that even as a rookie he was head and shoulders the best player in the NBA. In his first year with the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain averaged 37.6 points per game and 27.0 rebounds per game, both tops in the league. Wilt the Stilt won the MVP that season, along with Rookie of the Year honors.