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Top 20 Rising Sports Stars of 2014

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Top Rising Sports Stars of 2014

Miami Marlins v New York Mets
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It's always fun to try to predict who will be in the next crop of elite athletes, but there usually isn't much evidence supporting who those athletes will be. In the past year or so, we've seen plenty to anoint this group of 20 athletes as the next stars in sports.

20. Montee Ball

Kansas City Chiefs v Denver Broncos
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20. Montee Ball

Kansas City Chiefs v Denver Broncos
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Even though Ball is injured, he's shown in his short time in the NFL that he has all the makings of a star. Not much pressure is on him playing in Denver's high-powered offense, so he should be able to thrive over the next several seasons.

19. Marcus Stroman

New York Yankees v Toronto Blue Jays
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19. Marcus Stroman

New York Yankees v Toronto Blue Jays
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Stroman hasn't even pitched a full season in the major leagues, but his stuff is elite. He was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball when he came up and so far he's proving every scouting report about him completely right.

18. Jake Arrieta

Chicago Cubs v Boston Red Sox
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18. Jake Arrieta

Chicago Cubs v Boston Red Sox
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Arrieta, a former elite prospect, is developing late, but he's looking like an ace now. This past season, he took a no-hitter into at least the sixth inning four times and looked absolutely overpowering. Coupled with another ace, he could give the Cubs a nice 1-2 pitching punch in the future.

17. John Wall

Washington Wizards v Chicago Bulls
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17. John Wall

Washington Wizards v Chicago Bulls
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Wall was supposed to be a superstar coming out of college, but it didn't quite happen that way. He's taken a while to develop, but last season marked a major step in his development. It looks like he's ready to emerge as elite this season.

16. Tyler Toffoli

Anaheim Ducks v Los Angeles Kings
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16. Tyler Toffoli

Anaheim Ducks v Los Angeles Kings
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Toffoli really showed up huge last season for the Kings and helped them in their Stanley Cup run. He's only scratched the surface of his potential, though, and this season could be when he becomes a bona fide superstar.

15. Klay Thompson

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Clippers
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15. Klay Thompson

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Clippers
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We've known Thompson is a sharp shooter from three-point range for a while now, but last season showed he could be a star in the league. As long as he can improve his driving ability, there's no reason to think he can't average 24-27 points per game.

14. Torey Krug

Montreal Canadiens v Boston Bruins - Game Seven
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14. Torey Krug

Montreal Canadiens v Boston Bruins - Game Seven
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Krug was supposed to be a top defenseman for the Bruins last season and he lived up to his billing. Even though the Bruins had an early exit from the playoffs, Krug proved he is going to be a great addition to an already great team.

13. DeMarco Murray

Houston Texans v Dallas Cowboys
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13. DeMarco Murray

Houston Texans v Dallas Cowboys
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Murray is on pace to set the single-season rushing record this year and even though breaking the record is unlikely, he's proving to be elite this season. Ever since he came out of college, people have been waiting for his breakout season and this is it folks.

12. Jose Abreu

Chicago White Sox v Chicago Cubs
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12. Jose Abreu

Chicago White Sox v Chicago Cubs
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Even though he's not as young as most of the other guys on this list, Abreu had zero MLB experience until this year. He burst onto the scene with elite power and has White Sox fans excited for what the future holds.

11. Ian Desmond

Division Series - Washington Nationals v San Francisco Giants - Game Four
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11. Ian Desmond

Division Series - Washington Nationals v San Francisco Giants - Game Four
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He doesn't get the national attention he deserves, but Ian Desmond is ready to become a star. He's a great fielder and is steadily becoming a better hitter. Lost in the shuffle of other Washington stars, Desmond is going to start making a name for himself.

10. Damian Lillard

USAB Practice at the PNY Center in East Rutherford New Jersey
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10. Damian Lillard

USAB Practice at the PNY Center in East Rutherford New Jersey
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If Lillard's series-winning shot last season was his coming out party, this season is going to be the after party. Lillard was already really impressive in his first two seasons in the league and year three is when he will become a superstar.

9. Carlos Hyde

Philadelphia Eagles v San Francisco 49ers
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9. Carlos Hyde

Philadelphia Eagles v San Francisco 49ers
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Hyde hasn't gotten regular playing time yet this season, but in his limited action, he's shown he's ready to be a starter in the NFL. With Frank Gore aging, he will be the featured back in San Francisco soon enough.

8. Teddy Bridgewater

2014 NFL Combine
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8. Teddy Bridgewater

2014 NFL Combine
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He's only played in two NFL games, but boy does Bridgewater look impressive. His ability to scramble and throw on the run looked like the type of thing that could turn the Vikings from lousy to a pretty solid team.

7. Masahiro Tanaka

Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees
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7. Masahiro Tanaka

Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees
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As long as Tanaka stays healthy, he's going to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball for a long time. He's younger than most Japanese pitchers who come over, so the Yankees may have actually paid him the right amount of money after all.

6. Anthony Davis

NBA All-Star Portraits 2014
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6. Anthony Davis

NBA All-Star Portraits 2014
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Even though he dominated in college, Davis' prospects in the NBA were relatively unknown coming into the league. He's silenced all of his critics over his first couple seasons and now he's set to become a top 10 player in all of basketball.

5. Michael Brantley

Chicago White Sox v Cleveland Indians
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5. Michael Brantley

Chicago White Sox v Cleveland Indians
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For a couple seasons it seemed like Brantley was ready to break out, but he never put everything together. That changed this season as he had the league's second-highest batting average. If he adds to his power a bit, he's going to be a superstar for several years to come for the Indians.

4. Tomas Hertl

San Jose Sharks v Los Angeles Kings
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4. Tomas Hertl

San Jose Sharks v Los Angeles Kings
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Hertl came into the league with a bang. At the beginning of his first season, he scored four goals in a game and took the league by storm. After putting people on alert to his talent, he's only looked better and better.

3. Kawhi Leonard

San Antonio Spurs v Alba Berlin
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3. Kawhi Leonard

San Antonio Spurs v Alba Berlin
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After winning the NBA Finals MVP last season, most people are aware of Kawhi Leonard. With aging stars in San Antonio, Leonard is going to be the guy for the Spurs within a couple seasons.

2. Nathan MacKinnon

2014 NHL Awards - Inside
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2. Nathan MacKinnon

2014 NHL Awards - Inside
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After just one season in the NHL, people are already comparing MacKinnon to Sidney Crosby. The comparison isn't actually that far off because MacKinnon's speed and stick skills are elite. Look for him to join the likes of Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin this season.

1. Giancarlo Stanton

New York Mets v Miami Marlins
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1. Giancarlo Stanton

New York Mets v Miami Marlins
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Most people already heard about Stanton before this season, but this was his coming out season. It remains to be seen whether or not he will win the National League MVP, but he should. Whether he stays with the Marlins or not, Stanton is going to be a top player in the league for a very long time.

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