Oh it’s a great time to be a Philadelphia sports fan. Why? Because we are watching the future unfold, Sixers process is working out finally, the Eagles are winning some games, and the Phillies have lots of cap space and young studs ready to dominate. Philadelphia sports is looking very bright for the future and everyone is loving it. Now lets take a look at the top 10 young studs in Philly.
10. Nick Williams
Probably the biggest acquisition in the Cole Hamels deal, Williams has been a very good offensive weapon for the Phils since he’s been called up. He will most likely be one of the corner outfielders for the future along with Aaron Alterr at the other corner and Odubel Herrera in center field (number 6 on this list) (Williams and Alterr can both play RF and LF but no one knows where they will be for the future) . Nick Williams will be a promising player for hopefully a long time with the Phillies.
9. Aaron Nola
Sometimes I feel like nobody is safe on this current Phillies roster besides Herrera and this kid, Aaron Nola. We drafted him in the first round in 2014, we called him up the next spring 2015. The Phils have a lot of hope for this guy. He has the potential to be a number two or number three starter on any team. He is an old-school player which people like me like. He plays the game the right way, like a Chase Utley or Cole Hamels. Philly has high hopes for him to be very productive pitcher during his career.
8. Dario Saric
The “mystery man”is what he used to be called. Well, he sure isn’t a mystery any more. Coming over from Croatia, Dario Saric made a quick impact with his ability to handle the ball at 6’10 and shoot long mid-range and 3 point range so well. It only took 3 years after drafting him for him to come over to the US but it was worth the wait. He averaged 12.8 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes per game. He got most of his playing time in the second half of the season when they traded Ersan Ilyasova. Saric will most likely be the 6th man for the team this season with lineup looking already set with Fultz, Reddick, Covington, Simmons, and Embiid being the starters. That doesn’t mean that Dario will have any lack of playing time. The Sixers I think will be the most fun team to watch in Philly.
Jordan Hicks has already shown glimpses of being the future of the Eagles secondary. He already leads it now along with Malcolm Jenkins and they look pretty good through these first couple weeks of the season. A good secondary defense has always been something the Eagles have been lacking over the last couple of years. But with Hicks as the new leader, they will do just fine.
The first thing people say to me when I bring up Odubel Herrera is always, he’s a showboat, he doesn’t hustle, he doesn’t do this, he doesn’t do that, please save it. You and I wouldn’t want anyone else in center field for the Phillies (except Mike Trout) because he can flat out play. He gets on base it seems like all the time. In this 3 years so far on the team his career batting average is .288, I would say that’s pretty good. Yeah he does something stupid here and there but c’mon, I want him out there all the time. I have no problem with him not running out a roundball or throwing up bullhorns after a big hit, only if he gets that big hit and he delivers and does his job day in and day out. He is and will be our long term center fielder (except if Mike Trout comes then he’s out LOL!)
5. Markelle Fultz
It still crazy how the Sixers even got Fultz. I kept hearing trade talks regarding the Sixers, Celtics and the number 1 pick for like 3 or 4 days before the trade went through. When I heard we got pick, I went crazy, I was so excited as was the rest of Philly. Drafting him feels like the last piece to the process, we finally get that point guard that we always needed since we traded away Michael Carter-Williams (although Simmons might play PG and Fultz at SG). He was the best option for the Sixers at number 1 and most people feel they made the right decision in drafting. He had an insane freshmen year at Washington but was unable to make the NCAA tournament, which people question. Is he a winner? Does he care about winning? Him not making the tournament in college shouldn’t effect his success in the NBA. I cannot wait until the Sixers big 3 are on the court all together finally.
4. Ben Simmons
As Stephen A. Smith said days before the 2016 draft, Ben Simmons, is the complete package!!!” I believe it, and the rest of the city believes it. Yeah he broke his foot first day of training campiest year, but that’s the past, he’s fresh and ready to go. All of this hype around Simmons is solely on his potential considering he has yet to play an NBA game yet. The dude is 6’10 with a 7’0+ wingspan, he can run the floor and dribble and pass like a point guard. Oh wait, you know what’s funny? Brett Brown wants him to play point guard. He’s bigger than Magic Johnson. He showed in college at LSU that he is capable of running an offense. His shot on the other hand, is what the kids nowadays say “broke”, and well they aren’t wrong. Although his shot has gotten better since his college days, it’s still not where it should be. But other then his shot he can almost do everything else, he can play all 5 positions on the floor, he’s big, strong, mobile, can get to the rim. Philly already loves this guy so much, he’ll be a great fit for this team.
About a month-month-and-a-half ago, no one knew who Rhys Hoskins was. If you were to walk down the street and ask “do you know about Rhys Hoskins?”, most people would say “never heard of him.” But after the month of August, everyone in Philly should know who he is. Hoskins went on 2 or 3 different stretches where he homered almost everyday fro a week. He was called up by the Phillies on August 10th and didn’t get his first hit until August 13th. He hit his first home run the next day in San Diego, then he hit another one. Then the next day, another one. Then they just kept coming, homer, homer, homer, homer, homer. It seemed like he was hitting a home run everyday. Hoskins won Rookie of the Month for August while hitting a total of 11 home runs and 25 RBI’s in August alone, he was called up August 10 too. He finished the season with 18 homers and 45 RBI’s in just 50 games and 170 at-bats. Goddam he’s a monster.
Ah the guy who’s gonna save the Eagles as they say, the quarterback we’ve all been waiting for. Wentz showed in his rookie year that he’s legit, and here for the long run. 6’5” 237lbs, that’s a big boy running this team. Carson is all in too, the kid hates too lose, he’s always had a chip on his shoulder since the draft. Yeah, he went second overall but everyone thought the first overall pick, Jared Goff from Cal would be the better player just because he came from a legit D1 program. Wentz came from North Dakota state, which is a Division 1-AA program (basically Division 2), so he had lots of doubts after the draft. Boy, did everyone forget about that after his first few games. He started off almost too good, 3-0 in the first three games, 5 touchdowns, 769 yards, and 0 interceptions. Then after the BYE week reality hit, he slowed down a bit, lost some games, threw some interceptions, went back to playing like a real quarterback. But let me tell you, the kid has guts. He’s got wheels for a big guy, he’s got a big arm, very athletic, just an all around good player on the field. Off the field, even better, Wentz, has a foundation called “AO1” or “Audience of One”, its mission is “to demonstrate the love of God by providing opportunities and support for the less fortunate and those in need.” So I would be very comfortable if I heard my future kid say “Dad, I want to be like Carson Wentz.” The guy is just an all-around good person, and a damn well good quarterback. I believe the Eagles have found their face for a long time.
OH MY GOD! This kid is really something special. Yeah, he only played 31 games in his rookie year and missed 2 seasons due to injuries, but come on, he can flat out ball. The Sixers haven’t had a center this talented and loved by everyone since Wilt Chamberlin. Through the 31 games he played last season, he only played a maximum of about 28 minutes each game. But the stats that he put up are absolutely incredible. 20 points, 8 rebounds and almost 3 blocks per game in 28 minutes, that’s insane. He was probably the most hyped up, anticipated athlete we’ve had in Philly since Allen Iverson. It is such a joy watching him play because, he’s a good player and he’s energetic and popular. The guy loves social media, he’s very active on Twitter and Instagram. This kid is the face of Philly!! If healthy, Embiid has the chance to be one of the best centers in the NBA year in and year out. All star games, All-NBA teams, MVPs, shoe deals, and maybe just maybe, championships.
-AJ DelleMonache
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