As we wrap up another fun year in Philadelphia sports and look forward to 2019, it is a great time to look at who were the top athletes in the city. There were a lot of great individual performances from various Philly athletes such as Joel Embiid and Nick Foles that not only brought excitement to the city but also lifted their respective teams to new heights.
Here at Metro, we to list the top 5 Philadelphia athletes in 2018:
1. Nick Foles
If you are coming up with a list of the top-five Philadelphia athletes in 2018, you need Eagles quarterback Nick Foles on it. The veteran quarterback comes in at No. 1 as he helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl in franchise history back in February over the New England Patriots.
The journeyman quarterback, who once contemplated retirement, had one of the best postseasons in recent NFL history. Foles had six touchdowns and an interception in three playoff games, including an amazing 373-yard, four total touchdown performance in Super Bowl 52.
It was the perfect storybook ending for a franchise, who yearned for a championship for many years.
2. Joel Embiid
While Foles was dominating the gridiron to begin the year, 76ers big man Joel Embiid was putting up gaudy numbers on the hardwood. The former third-overall pick averaged 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 30.3 minutes during the 2017-18 season.
With those types of stats, Embiid was named to his first of many NBA All-Star teams and also participated in the USA vs. World game during all-star weekend. The 24-year-old center played a huge role in the team’s success last season and was one of the reasons why they won 52 games and made the playoffs.
In addition to what he did last season, Embiid has already started the 2018-19 season off on a good note and putting himself in the MVP consideration. He is averaging career-highs across the board with 26.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.
3. Carson Wentz
After missing the last month of the regular season and the postseason with a knee injury, Wentz came back this summer looking to prove that 2017 was not a fluke.
The third-year quarterback made his 2018 regular season debut in Week 3 and showed he still had it before a back injury. He completed a career-high 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,074 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
4. Ben Simmons
Along with Embiid, Ben Simmons had an amazing 2017-18 season, which led to him winning the Rookie of the Year award over Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
Simmons almost averaged a triple-double consisting of 15.8 points, 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game. This year, the former first overall pick is averaging 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists and is on the verge of becoming a top-10 player in the NBA.
5. Aaron Nola
Last but not least is Philadelphia Phillies ace pitcher Aaron Nola. The 25-year-old starter had a career-year and helped the Phils be competitive through the summer.
Nola had a record of 17-6 with an ERA of 2.37 in 33 starts. He also recorded 224 strikeouts in 212.1 innings pitched and finished third in the NL Cy Young race.
Nola just like Embiid was rewarded for his outstanding season and named to the MLB All-Star game for the first time in his career. This spot on the list was tough because it could’ve gone to him or first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who had a fantastic year too.
