The Five Best Athletes In Sports Today
There are many superstar-caliber players in the sports world, but which five athletes have reached elite status and are the best in sports today? Below is a list of the top current athletes in sports right now.
1. Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship
This man is on another planet right now. All he does is win and nobody can consistently compete with him week in and week out.
Scottie Scheffler secured his sixth win of the season over the weekend after beating Tom Kim on the first playoff hole of the Travelers Championship with a winning score of -22. He becomes the sixth person all-time to have six wins before the calendar hits July. He joins Arnold Palmer, who did it twice, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Jimmy DeMaret to accomplish such a feat.
Even when Scottie seemed like he dropped back down to Earth after an awful week at the U.S. Open, where he finished T-41, he came back the next week and put on another clinic to add more hardware to his trophy case.
Every part of his game is elite right now. From tee to green he rarely makes a mistake. He currently is first on the PGA Tour in scoring average, birdie average, strokes gained total, strokes gained approach to the green, and greens in regulation—a great recipe for success.
One of the most impressive things about his game is the mental aspect. Skill and luck are big parts of golf, but having a strong mental game is just as important. Scheffler never seems phased on the course whether he has a putt to win a tournament, if he is trailing late in a round, or if he is in a playoff.
After earning 700 points from his win this weekend Scheffler now leads the FedEx Cup Standings by an outstanding 2,510.417 points. He will look to continue playing his best golf as The Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club approaches in mid-July.
Career Stats
126 events, 12 wins, 85% made cut-rate, 42 top-5 finishes
2. Connor McDavid
Edmonton Oilers' #97 Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid is undoubtedly the best hockey player in the world right now and he has the potential to go down as the greatest of all time. He is a walking highlight reel and can explode for a big game on any night.
The Oilers got off to a rocky start to begin their season, going 2-9-1 through the first 12 games. After starting the 2023/24 campaign as one of the favorites to win the Cup, it looked like a disappointing year was brewing in Alberta. Despite the rough start, McDavid and Co. were able to turn the season around rattling off an eight-game win streak and a 16-game win streak throughout the year to help finish the season 49-27-6.
McDavid is one of the big reasons for the Oilers flipping the switch. He closed out the regular season with 32 goals and 100 assists to finish third in the league in points. He carried his regular season success into the playoffs, finishing with eight goals and 34 assists.
Despite such a great season, McDavid and the Oilers' comeback attempt in the Stanley Cup Finals fell just short as the Panthers defeated them 2-1 in Game 7. Even though the Oilers lost, McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player throughout the postseason; one of six players all-time to win the award but not the Cup.
McDavid will have to wait until next year for another chance at his first Stanley Cup. Regardless of the defeat on Monday night, McDavid remains one of the most dominant players in all of sports.
Career Stats
335 goals, 647 assists, 982 points, +149 rating, 15.2 shot%
3. Patrick Mahomes
Tom Brady is the undisputed G.O.A.T. of football, but if there is anyone who has a chance to catch him it is Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes emerged as a top quarterback in the league in his first full season, when he threw for 5,097 yards and a league-leading 50 touchdowns, and led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record. After six seasons as a starter, he has a 73-22 record, three Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs, two All-Pro selections, and two regular season MVPs.
Even when the Chiefs seemed like they were going to take a few steps back after trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, they won back-to-back Super Bowls. No matter who he is throwing to or who they are up against, as long as number 15 is commanding the offense, the Chiefs will always have a good chance to win.
Career Stats
74-22 record, 296.1 yards/game, 219 touchdowns, 66.5 pass completion, and 63 interceptions
4. Shohei Ohtani
Los Angeles Dodgers #17 Shohei Ohtani
Anything can happen down the road, but Shohei Ohtani so far has been living up to his record-setting 700 million dollar contract.
He is not pitching this season due to a UCL injury, so he has been able to focus on his bat more, which has been on fire all year. He currently leads the MLB with a .318 batting average, is third in hits with 97, third in home runs with 23, and third in runs with 61.
Ohtani is in his seventh season and already is a two-time AL MVP, three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and won Rookie of the Year in 2018. At just 29 years old he's sure to add more trophies to his résumé.
Even with all these accolades, Ohtani is still waiting for his first appearance in the playoffs. The Dodgers are currently leading the NL West by 8.5 games, and that playoff dream is looking more like a reality.
Career Stats
Batting: .279 BA, 194 home runs, 494 RBI, 778 hits, and 489 runs scored
Pitching: 38-19 record, 3.01 ERA, 53 home runs allowed, 1.082 WHIP
Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky
There has not been a swimmer as accomplished as Katie Ledecky since Michael Phelps. Ledecky has been putting the swim world on notice ever since she debuted in the 2012 London Olympics as a 15-year-old, where she won gold in the 800m freestyle.
In three Olympics Ledecky has won 10 medals; seven gold and three silver. She has also claimed 26 World Championship medals. On top of the many wins, Ledecky also holds world records for the Women's 800m Freestyle (7:57:42) and Women’s 1500m Freestyle (15:08:24) in 25-meter pools. In 50-meter pools, she holds records in the Women’s 400m Freestyle (3:56:46), Women’s 800m Freestyle (8:04:79), and Women’s 1500m Freestyle (15:20:48).
There is no event in which Ledecky does not have a good chance to win. She is even balancing glasses of milk on her head for fun. What can’t she do?
Ledecky and the U.S. swim team will look to win gold at this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris.
Honorable Mentions
Max Verstappen
Kylian Mbappe
Nikola Jokic
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