Power Ranking The Top 10 Philly Athletes Right Now

It’s been a bit of a slow week in Philly sports with the Eagles doing their pre-Super Bowl week prep, the Sixers in a bit of a lull in their schedule, and the Flyers heading into the NHL All-Star break. The news cycle will pick back up when the Eagles take off for Glendale, Arizona next week, but in the meantime, let’s add the latest installment to a classic sports conversation: who are the top 10 athletes in the city right now? Sorry, Union fans, I am not well versed enough with the team to rank them among the big 4 teams, no disrespect meant. Flyers fans, I’m not sorry. We both know no one on that team right now is top 10 in the city.

• 10.) Zack Wheeler

  Wheeler is the best pitcher on the Phillies’ roster right now, and while I also considered Aaron Nola, Wheeler truly is the more dominant right now. He is the best non-position player on this Phillies roster, but not the best overall player on the team.

• 9.) AJ Brown

  You might think Brown is low here, but lately he has been a little less impactful. He’s still the 2^nd best skill position player on the Eagles, but I couldn’t put him any higher than 9^th considering the numerous elite level players currently in Philly sports.

• 8.) Trea Turner

  He hasn’t played a game in Philly yet, but he is the best shortstop in baseball right now. Neither of the past 2 guys on this list can rightfully claim the top spot at their position, but Turner can. Trust me, when you see what he does this season, it’s possible this could look like an underrating of the Phillies’ newest star.

• 7.) James Harden

  Harden probably deserves to be higher, but playing 2^nd fiddle on a team that only has 5 guys on the floor at any given time (or sometimes 4 when Harden decides to sprint off the bench randomly mid-play) makes it difficult to rank him higher. Still, though, Harden is an All-World type basketball player, and an elite facilitator.

• 6.) Haason Reddick

  There’s an argument that Reddick is the best defensive football player on the planet right now. He’s had an incredible homecoming season, and the playoffs have reaffirmed just how impactful he can be any given Sunday. Reddick went from being a free agent, to being one of the best athletes in a stacked lineup in Philadelphia.

• 5.) Lane Johnson

  These next two spots were the toughest for me to make a call on. You’ll understand when you scroll down to #4. I decided to place Lane Johnson at 5, simply because of career resume. He and the next guy on this list have been so evenly dominant this season that the All-Time accomplishments had to play tie breaker. Johnson is NO DOUBT a top 5 athlete in this city right now.

• 4.) Jason Kelce

  Kelce only beat out his right tackle because he is an absolute lock Hall of Famer and Eagle legend already. Johnson will be there one day, but the elder statesman of the offensive line is #62 at center. Kelce is an unstoppable force of a man, an emotional leader, and damn near a folk hero. He’s fully deserving of his spot at #4 in these rankings.

• 3.) Jalen Hurts

  Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce might be the most interchangeable on this list, but these top 3 will probably be the most debated. I’m putting Hurts at 3 because of the body of work, but he is without a doubt the best player on his team right now. The Eagles’ signal caller has been the best player in all of football this year, and I could see him being the lock #1 player in this city for a long time.

• 2.) Bryce Harper

  The MV3. One of the greatest playoff performances in Phillies history. If Hurts finishes the job he could leapfrog Harper, but Bryce right now has the claim to the best playoff performer in the city. He’s an absolute force at the plate, and now owns one of the biggest home runs in the history of baseball in this city with his “Bedlam At The Bank” shot against San Diego. He is one of the faces of this generation of baseball, and he deserves to be #2 here.

• 1.) Joel Embiid

  The Process. The Embeast. An absolute monster. Whatever you call him, Joel Embiid is the best athlete in this city right now. He’s not just All-World right now. There’s a distinct possibility that he’s the most talented player to EVER PLAY HIS POSITION. Will he ever get that level of respect? It seems like the answer is no, but we get to watch him night after night and we know the truth: Joel Embiid is a different beast altogether. He’s the best athlete in this city.