20 Under 25

The Final List: NBC Sports Boston's “20 Under 25” Rankings

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What does the future look like for Boston's beloved professional sports teams? Fans voted in record numbers in NBC Sports Boston's annual "20 Under 25" survey, which ranks the top 20 athletes in our market under the age of 25.

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1/22

The votes are in! This year's "20 Under 25" rankings are official.

From Dec. 1-18, thousands of fans cast their votes on the top athletes in New England under the age of 25. Players were rated video-game style on a scale of 1 to 99.

The final list includes five players from the New England Patriots, four from the Boston Celtics, four from the Boston Red Sox, four from the Boston Bruins, and three from the New England Revolution. Some players you'd expect, but others may surprise you.

For instance, Red Sox youngsters Tanner Houck and Jeter Downs cracked the top 20 despite having little to no major league experience. Then there are the players who apparently have fallen out of favor with fans, such as Patriots wide receiver N'Keal Harry and Celtics guard Carsen Edwards.

So who took the top spot in this year's "20 Under 25" rankings? Who else worked their way into the top 20, and which players failed to make the cut this year?

Let's take a look at the list.

2/22

Houck cracks the top 20 after a brief, though impressive, debut big-league season. The Red Sox right-hander was called up for the final two weeks of 2020 and made the most of his time, going 3-0 with a 0.53 ERA and 21 strikeouts. Who knows if he’ll be able to carry that success into 2021, but his effort last season makes him worthy of his top-20 ranking.

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

3/22
FAN RATING: 73.12
4/22

There is plenty of hope and promise after the way 24-year-old Adam Buksa finished his first MLS season. The Polish striker had a mediocre regular season but finished the campaign strong with three goals and an assist in the final six games. He continued his great play into the playoffs where he looked like the top talent the Revs signed as their third DP last December and was one of the best players on the field in the Eastern Conference Final against Columbus. The arrow is trending up on Buksa.

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

5/22
FAN RATING: 73.27
6/22

We’re a bit surprised to see Grant Williams drop to No. 18 after a promising finish to his rookie campaign. The Tennessee product appeared to earn Brad Stevens' trust and could play significant frontcourt minutes this season, especially if Tristan Thompson misses time. There’s a case for Grant over Robert (Williams) in these rankings.

 

Previous Ranking: 14 (79.0)

7/22
FAN RATING: 73.45
8/22

Jeter Downs was acquired in the Mookie Betts trade along with Alex Verdugo, but we have yet to see the top middle infield prospect play in the big leagues. The upside certainly is high, though. Downs hit 24 homers between High A and Double A in 2019 and has great speed to boot. It’s impossible to accurately rank him until he spends some time in the majors, but there’s no doubting his high potential.

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

9/22
FAN RATING: 73.71
10/22

Tajon Buchanan was one of the biggest surprises of an incredible 2020 playoff run for the Revs and that's why he cracked our Top 20. The 21-year-old was a major reason the club was one win away from reaching its first MLS Cup since 2014. The second-year pro, who started the season as an attacker, thrived after getting shifted to right-back. He gave defenses fits with his pace and ability to create shots and held his own on the defensive end. No other player his age had the impact he had this postseason. He could be a force for years to come on the right side of the backline.

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

11/22
FAN RATING: 74.76
12/22

All Henry Kessler did in his first MLS season was become the Revs' top defender. Though most people probably expected the 22-year-old center back to spend lots of time with the Revolution II team to develop, he earned a spot in the starting lineup by opening day and never looked back. The University of Virginia product appeared in 22 of the team's 23 regular-season games (19 starts) before anchoring a defense that allowed just three goals in four playoff games. He was the team's most consistent defender from start to finish and just might be the cleanest tackler on the backline. Kessler should be a fixture in the Revs' central defense for a long time -- and even David Ortiz took notice of his efforts.

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

13/22
FAN RATING: 74.80
14/22

Last season, the Patriots tied for seventh in the NFL with 47 sacks, but that pass rush has disappeared in 2020. With just 21 sacks in 14 games (27th in the league), the Patriots are a team in desperate need of players who can pressure the quarterback. So Uche’s rating is likely a result of some wishful thinking from fans who have liked what they’ve seen from his limited snaps. It will be interesting to see how the second-rounder fares in Year 2 after a ‘normal’ offseason.

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

15/22
FAN RATING: 75.07
16/22

It’s fitting that Robert Williams is 13th for the second straight year. The No. 27 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft has tantalizing upside as an uber-athletic rim runner, but he has yet to string together any sustained success through two full seasons. The clock is ticking on the Time Lord.

 

Previous Ranking: 13 (79.3)

17/22
FAN RATING: 75.45
18/22

Brandon Carlo has steadily developed into a reliable top-four defenseman in all three zones, giving the Bruins much-needed depth and defensive skill. With Torey Krug leaving in free agency, Carlo's job becomes even more important this season. If he thrives in this role, the Bruins will need to make signing him to a long-term contract extension a top priority.

 

Previous Ranking: 11 (80.9)

19/22
FAN RATING: 77.37
20/22

While it might be tough to get a true read on Jakobi Meyers’ potential as a receiver due to the limitations of the Patriots’ passing offense this season, the undrafted free agent from 2019 has shown impressive flashes -- and that’s even when he’s gone up against an opponent’s top cornerback. If Meyers were to slot in as the team’s second or third option, he could continue his upward trajectory going forward.

 

Previous Ranking: 20 (76.8)

21/22
FAN RATING: 77.58
22/22

There was always going to be a learning curve for Kyle Dugger as he made the leap from Division II Lenoir-Rhyne to the NFL, but New England’s top choice from the 2020 NFL Draft is navigating that curve brilliantly. There’s a reason that Bill Belichick referred to the safety as "the type of player that gets better every day" -- and with Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung on the back-nine of their NFL careers, Dugger can carry the mantle at safety in Foxboro.

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

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