Dec 22, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) dunks as he warms up before a game against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

15. Kristaps Porzingis, Power Forward, New York Knicks

Kristaps Porzingis is more than just a budding superstar, with a lethal jump shot, a massive wingspan, and maturity beyond his years.

He represents real, tangible hope, something that Knicks fans have not had in bunches for quite some time. The byproduct of a terrible 17-65 season, Porzingis has done nothing but exceed expectations since his introduction to the league, going from runner-up in the Rookie of the Year race to a fringe all-star in just his second season.

He can rain in the threes, he has handles on the perimeter, he can swat away shots for fun and throw down highlight reel putback dunks like it’s a daily routine. His statistics — 18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and shooting splits of 44/38/80 — aren’t too shabby either.

KP is a legitimate franchise building block and the reason why so many Knicks fans are ready to move on from Carmelo Anthony and watch the Knicks build a team around this 7-foot-3 Latvian unicorn.

14. Dellin Betances, Relief Pitcher, New York Yankees

Arguably one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, Dellin Betances is as reliable a reliever as any in the MLB. While he may have been overused in 2016, Betances still recorded 126 strikeouts to only 28 walks and recorded 12 saves as a part-time closer. While his numbers weren’t as good as in previous years, he was named to his third consecutive all-star team.

With the return of Aroldis Chapman, Betances will settle into the setup role that he is clearly more comfortable in. Considering he had a 1.50 and 1.40 in the two seasons before, respectively, as a setup man, he could be in for a bounce-back 2017 campaign.

13. Ryan McDonagh, Defenseman, New York Rangers

It’s been a disappointing two seasons for McDonagh, who has struggled to stay effective due to several reasons, including a concussion that seriously hindered him against the Penguins in the postseason, as well as the struggles of his partner Dan Girardi.

However, on his day, McDonagh is an elite defenseman who does well to cover Henrik Lundqvist. Additionally, his work on the offensive side of the puck cannot be understated — his 26 assists are second on the entire team. Because of his effectiveness on both offense and defense, as well as his leadership, McDonagh ranks highly on this list.

12. Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback, New York Giants

Second Team All-Pro, Pro-Bowler, PFF All-NFL Second Team and the label of a shutdown cornerback — it wasn’t a bad year for Janoris Jenkins. In his first full season with the Giants, Jenkins was one of the team’s defensive superstars, shutting down top receivers every week and giving the Giants a legitimate shutdown corner.

https://youtu.be/fdLaRTsIXUc

Many pundits were critical of the Giants signing him in free agency, saying they overpaid on the former Ram, but Jenkins proved all doubters wrong with a terrific season, racking up 49 tackles, three interceptions and an 88.3 grade on Pro Football Focus, the eighth highest of any corner.

His signature game has to be the 10-7 victory against Dallas, where he made a mockery of Dez Bryant. Jenkins held Bryant to one catch the whole game, and made three instrumental plays to help the team win. First, he jumped Bryant’s route and picked off Dak Prescott. Second, as soon as he surrendered his first catch of the game, Jenkins forced Bryant to fumble late in the fourth quarter, giving the Giants possession back. Third, and finally, on the last Dallas play of the game (a fourth down), Prescott found Bryant, who made a diving catch for a first down. However, replay showed that Jenkins dislodged the ball from Bryant’s hands — the call was overturned, the Cowboys turned the ball over on downs, and the Giants kneeled down to win the game.

That performance solidfied his status as a top tier corner in the NFL, and a top tier player in New York Sports.

11. Yoenis Cespedes, Center Fielder, New York Mets

Yoenis Cespedes re-signing with the New York Mets was one of the storylines of the offseason.

Ever since his arrival two summers ago, Cespedes transformed the Mets from a fringe playoff team to a title contender. He posted tremendous numbers across the board: A .280 Average, 31 home runs, 86 RBI, a .530 Slugging Percentage, 134 hits and 72 runs. He is also one year removed from winning an American League Gold Glove Award and continued his defensive prowess with the Mets this season.

Cespedes at times was the only spark in a sometimes putrid Mets offense. For that reason, he ranks very highly on this list.

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Skylar Darel
Staff Writer at Elite Sports New York. Lead Writer at New York Sports Hub and My Weekly Sports. Twitter, instagram: @skylardarel. Avid fan of the Yankees, Knicks, Giants, New York City FC, FC Barcelona, and Arsenal FC. Sophomore at the College of New Jersey, studying Communication. Aspiring play-by-play commentator. Grew up in Manhattan, and proud to know how to work the Subway system.

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