Wonderkid - a young player who has elite potential and is already playing at a level way higher than you'd expect of someone their age.
Philadelphia sports is filled with bright talents, but just how exciting does the future look? I decided to rank the top-10 wonderkids playing in the City right now, but since all sports are being covered, I had to make a few rules.
No more than 2 wonderkids per teamNo older than age-23 or less than 2-years experience since rookies in the NFL are way older than MLB for instance. It has to be fair.
And with that in mind, here are my top-10 wonderkids in Philadelphia sports.
10: Shake Milton
The resumption of the NBA season is exciting, but seeing the evolution of 6-10 guard Shake Milton is even more. In his short time in the league, we've watched him tie an NBA record for 13-straight 3-pointers, sinking 41.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc in total,
Milton was traded to the Sixers on draft night in 2018 being taken in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks. Since then, he's ripped the G-League to shreds and has started to push through onto the bottom of the Sixers roster, exploding when given the opportunity to shine.
After Ben Simmons suffered a minor injury, Milton was called up to the plate and did not disappoint. In the final nine games of the season, he averaged 17.8 points, 4.1 assists, and shot 60.4% from beyond the arc.
At just 23-years-old, his unpredictable ceiling and freakishly athletic skillset make for the perfect project player to develop.
Milton is a fun player to watch and he'll undoubtedly have eyes on him when the season resumes.
9: Mick Abel
I would've gone with Scott Kingery here, but at 26-years-old, he's a little too old to be a wonderkid, even if he has only played in 2 seasons. This leads us to the team's first-round selection this year - Mick Abel.
At 18-years-old, Abel drew comparisons to Stephen Strausburg and Max Scherzer on Draft day, which is absolutely something worth noting. At such a young age, he stands at 6'5, 270 lbs. With such a big frame, he packs a strong punch, with a fastball sitting in the 93-95 mph range.
We may not see Abel for a few years, but the upside here is absolutely huge for the Oregon State product if the Phillies coaching staff can harness his potential in the minors,
8: Mark McKenzie
After making his USMNT senior team debut in a 1-0 clean sheet victory against Costa Rica earlier this year, the 21-year-old center back sunk his teeth into the start of another promising campaign with the Union before the season was quickly halted. This didn't stop scottish Giants Celtic reportedly revealing their interest when 'MLS is Back' kicked off just over a week ago.
McKenzie's potential is sky-high and he inked a new long-term deal with the team back in January on the back of a pair of seasons where he played in 26 games, starting 24, playing a crucial role in helping the Union earn their first-ever playoff win last year.
Whether McKenzie will turn into an MLS all-star or be snapped up by a larger team overseas before he has the chance to do so, remains to be seen. However, the Union have a rock at the back with McKenzie in town, a player who grew through their academy and is now a pivotal cog in the defensive engine as the team tear through the group stage of MLS is back.
7: Alec Bohm
MLB’s No. 30 prospect this season could well see a huge chunk of action at third-base for the Phillies if he makes the bigs. The 23-year-old is coming off of a 2019 campaign with a .305/.378/.518 line along with 21 home runs and 80 RBI's. Oh, and he hit .409 in the Grapefruit League this spring.
https://twitter.com/JSalisburyNBCS/status/1280919874613714947?s=20
As far as prospects go, Bohm is the Phillies' brightest as things stand. He was the third-overall pick in 2018 and his progression has meant fans are constantly refreshing his stats pages. This may be the year he takes the leap into MLB action and with a vacancy at third-base waiting for his name to be pencilled in, a potential breakout could well be on the horizon.
6: Matisse Thybulle
The Sixers' first-round pick in 2019 didn't take long to make a name for himself. After the team moved up four spots to get him, Thybulle burst onto the scene with defensive masterclass after defensive masterclass. The former Washington product already ranks towards the top of the entire NBA in both steals per 36 and total deflections per game. His rookie season prematurely ended with averages of 4.7PTS, 35.2 3P%, 1.4STL.
While he clogs lanes and picks off dribbles with ease, he's also become a fairly reasonable threat from range, shooting 35.2% from beyond the arc. Spicy.
Thybulle is still only 23-years-old and will get his first taste of playoff action when the NBA tips-off in Orlando. There's no doubting the team have a long-term defensive piece and if he can continue to evolve his offensive game, who knows how high the ceiling could be.
5: Jalen Reagor
I love Jalen Reagor. When creating my NFL Draft WR rankings, I had him #4 on my board, which is conveniently where he ended up being taken at pick 21. He ran a 4.47, but he also ran an unofficial 4.22 and 4.28 at his virtual pro day, but most impressively, it shows on film.
It's so easy to disregard Reagor as 'just a speed guy' or someone whose stats don't marry up to the potential, but with such harmful QB play at TCU, it's also easy to envision just how high the ceiling will be with Carson Wentz throwing him bombs.
Reagor has unbelievable body control and a lightning-fast release which help him change direction and sell routes with ease before zipping the other way. He's a lot more complete than people realize. There aren't many 5'11" receivers that play the ball so well in the air and he plays well above his height, opening up avenues that would otherwise be closed.
Reagor has the advantage of a QB who can truly elevate his game in Carson Wentz and we could well be seeing a star in the making this season.
4: Morgan Frost
In 20 games played in for the Flyers this season, Frost has been anything other than what his name would suggest. 2 goals, 5 assists and a -3 rating just don't do the 2017 first round pick justice. With the Phantoms, Frost had 20 points in 30 games before he was called back up for a second NHL stint.
The Flyers had struggled with secondary scoring and this allowed the center to show what he could do at a young age. He didn't set the world on fire, but he certainly didn't disappoint.
As far as Flyers prospects go, there's a lot of reason to believe that Frost is one of the finest. Derek Grant and Nate Thompson will have to keep their eye on what the youngster is doing, with Frost's 13:41 of Ice time per game with the Flyers showing flashes of a future top-line center.
3: Miles Sanders
Where do you even start with this man? Sanders exploded as a rookie, finally giving the Eagles a running back they can hang their hat on once again. It took a while to get going, but when Jordan Howard went down and missed half the year with a 'stinger', it was the Penn State product who stepped up.
From Week 7 and beyond, Sanders was one of just eight running backs to average 5+ yards per carry. Additionally, he and Aaron Jones were the only two to do so while also compiling 250+ receiving yards. By season’s end, Sanders was one of just six players to record 500+ rushing and receiving yards- Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, and Austin Ekeler being the others.
In fact, between the Seattle game and week 17 against the Giants, Sanders averaged 4.8 yards per rush on 92 carries and was even more lethal in the passing game: 29 receptions, 6.8 yards pr reception. All of that with 4 touchdowns.
The ceiling is incredibly high for Sanders, who may be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the coaching staff revamp this offseason and an abundance of new offensive weaponry, drawing eyes away from the box where he can burst into and make special plays become the new norm.
2: Brenden Aaronson
Everyone's favorite Union wonderkid, Aaronson, bagged his first goal in the team's last league game against LAFC in scintillating fashion. With that new attacking role established, Aaronson burst into the 'MLS is Back' tournament, spearheading attacking moves and running relentlessly at the opposition. He was rewarded by assisting a vital Przybylko goal to send the team to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Aaronson, like McKenzie, also garnered attention from the USMNT and has risen through the ranks of the Union's academy. A hometown hero, Aaronson is a joy to watch on the field and his development week-on-week is stunning.
Aaronson has stardom written all over him. You can see it every time he touches the ball and how quickly he's able to anticipate runs and thread the needle to support his teammates. The ultimate 'one to watch' Aaronson's potential is sky-high and if you're looking for a reason to root for Soccer, Aaronson is that guy.
1: Carter Hart
At just 21-years-old, Carter Hart the youngest goalie to have played in more than 20 games this year, his second season in the NHL. Not only that, but he's played exceptionally well - ranking 10th overall in wins, while his sensational 20-3-2 record at home helped drive the Flyers into the postseason with a real sense of assertion.
Hart was a different beast at the Wells Fargo Center this year, going 20-3-2, allowing 1.63 goals per game and amassing a .945 save percentage.
The Flyers goalie-carousel had been spinning for years with no sign of stopping until the drafting of the definition of a wonderkid. Miraculous save after miraculous save, Hart's road to glory is only just beginning and we may even be on the verge of calling him a Stanley Cup finalist or beyond.
Philly can hang their hat on a goalie once more and for him to be so damn good at such a young age, we may well be talking about Harts as one of the greats in years to come.
