25 for '25: Newsday's annual ranking of New York sports stars entering the new year

It is a metropolitan area New Year’s week tradition second only to the Times Square ball drop: Newsday’s annual ranking of New York sports stars.

This time we have chosen 25 for ’25, but there again is no change at the top. Aaron Judge heads our list for the third year in a row and the fifth time in the last eight years.

The big news is at No. 2, where the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson firmly has established himself as a pillar of the local sports community. He was a too-low 10th last year.

The usual rules apply: Current athletes only. Owners, coaches, media people and other such peripheral characters are not eligible.

Only players based east of the Hudson are included, other than the Jets and Giants.

Ability and achievement surely count. But star power counts more.

1: Aaron Judge, Yankees

Sure, no one old enough to remember Oct. 30 can unsee that dropped fly ball in Game 5 of the World Series, part of another postseason dud for Judge. But facts are facts: 58 home runs, 144 RBIs, 133 walks, 1.159 OPS, .322 batting average, unanimous American League MVP. Superstar.

2: Jalen Brunson, Knicks

Brunson averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists last season, but his worth goes far deeper than stats. He has led the Knicks back to relevance, and he is at it again this season. Did we mention he left $113 million on the table when he re-signed, giving the team more flexibility?

3: Juan Soto, Mets

It’s not just the money, although $765 million (or more) does get one’s attention. Soto choosing the Mets rather than staying with the Yankees was a bombshell that could echo for years. Also: Soto is very good at baseball. He had 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 128 runs last season.

4: Francisco Lindor, Mets

In his fourth year as a Met, Lindor fully arrived as the smiling face of the franchise, including a second-place finish in the NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani. His ninth-inning home run against Atlanta put the Mets in the playoffs. His grand slam knocked the Phillies out of the NLDS.

5: Gerrit Cole, Yankees

Despite being limited by injury to 17 starts and 95 innings — his lowest totals ever in a full season — Cole returned to his workhorse self, going 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in the regular season, then allowing seven earned runs in 29 playoff innings. He turns 35 late next season.

6: Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks

The Knicks were doing fine, then made a huge move to get even better, sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves for Towns, a New Jersey native and versatile 7-footer. Through early in Christmas week, KAT was leading the league with 14.0 rebounds a game and averaging 24.5 points.

7: Pete Alonso, TBD

As the musical chairs fill in among free agent first basemen, Alonso seems more and more like a logical fit to stay put. He has been a popular Met since 2019. His 34 homers in 2024 were his fewest in a full season, but with the Mets facing postseason elimination, his ninth-inning shot lifted them over the Brewers in the Wild Card Series.

8: Aaron Rodgers, Jets

If Rodgers had had the season he expected, he would have been top five on this list, if not top two. But he did not, and the future Hall of Famer’s future with the Jets is murky at best. He is here now, though, and he remains an attention magnet.

9: Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty

Tough call to rank Ionescu over Breanna Stewart, the Liberty’s best player, but Ionescu’s star power and flair are undeniable. She narrowly lost to Stephen Curry in a three-point shootout during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. She beat the Lynx with a late 28-footer in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

10: Breanna Stewart, Liberty

Stewart was the centerpiece of the superteam the Liberty built in 2023 and was named WNBA MVP. But the true payoff came in ’24, when she led the team to a 32-8 record and a triumph over the Lynx in the Finals for New York’s first pro basketball title since 1976.

11: Malik Nabers, Giants

It did not take long for Nabers, the No. 6 pick in the 2024 draft, to turn himself into the Giants’ most popular player. (Granted, the competition is light.) He has a team rookie-record 97 receptions for 969 yards and four TDs despite catching passes from four quarterbacks.

12: Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees

After Stanton’s seven seasons in the Bronx, fans finally seem to have accepted his limitations — injuries, inconsistency — and can appreciate his upside. Take the 2024 postseason. Stanton dominated, totaling seven home runs and 16 RBIs in 14 games with a 1.048 OPS. He was named ALCS MVP after hitting four homers in five games.

13: Josh Hart, Knicks

Hart’s statistics illustrate a productive, versatile player, but as anyone who follows the Knicks knows, they hardly paint the full picture of why he is so valuable on the court and so popular among fans. The guy is a human burst of energy. His colorful interviews add to the fun.

14: Garrett Wilson, Jets

The arrival of Rodgers’ BFF, Davante Adams, complicated Wilson’s role in the receiver pecking order, and that has frustrated him. In theory, Wilson should be here long after Rodgers and Adams move on. But does he want to be? He is 13 yards from his third 1,000-yard season in three attempts.

15: Dexter Lawrence, Giants

It is difficult for an interior defensive lineman to become a breakout star, but after he spent years as a favorite of personnel experts, even casual fans caught on this season to how good Lawrence is. Despite being double-teamed constantly, he had nine sacks in 12 games before suffering a season-ending injury.

16: Igor Shesterkin, Rangers

For years, the Rangers’ best player was their goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist. Here they are again, with Shesterkin establishing himself as one of the NHL’s best. He led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final last spring and this month signed an eight-year, $92 million contract, a record for a goalie.

17: Max Fried, Yankees

The Yankees went all-in on Plan B after losing Soto to the Mets. It began with Fried, a lefty pitcher who signed an eight-year, $218 million deal. In eight seasons with Atlanta, he went 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA. He should fit nicely behind Cole in the rotation.

18: Sauce Gardner, Jets

After two seasons being regarded as the second coming of Darrelle Revis, the young cornerback struggled in 2024, with opposing offenses no longer afraid to throw in his direction. Gardner still has the talent and attitude to be a long-term star, but 2025 will be a huge test of that.

19: Artemi Panarin, Rangers

Panarin scored a career-high 49 goals last regular season and added 71 assists, again illustrating his elite offensive talent. He has had his ups and downs in the playoffs, but “Breadman,” as he is known, remains a key element of the Rangers’ attack. When he is off, everything often is.

20: Brandon Nimmo, Mets

Although Nimmo had a wildly streaky 2024, including a deep post-All-Star break slump, he remains a valued sparkplug, a clubhouse leader and an eloquent team spokesman. He has spent his entire nine-year career with the Mets, who after the 2022 season rewarded him with a new eight-year, $162 million contract.

21: Ilya Sorokin, Islanders

Now in his fifth season in goal for the Islanders, Sorokin at least gives his team a chance most nights regardless of their limitations elsewhere on the ice. The guy has a career goals-against average of just over 2 ½. That’s a pretty good defensive base from which to build.

22: OG Anunoby, Knicks

A man of few words, Anunoby performs important deeds for the Knicks, for whom he debuted on Jan. 1. He has lived up to his reputation as a tough defender who also can score. On a team with bigger stars and bigger mouths, he lets his play do the talking.

23: Adam Fox, Rangers

The smooth-skating defenseman from Jericho is four seasons removed from winning the Norris Trophy, but he has remained consistently productive for the Rangers. His points totals for the past three regular seasons are 74, 72 and 73. Now, can he help lead the team out of its early-season funk?

24: Mathew Barzal, Islanders

Barzal missed six weeks this season with an upper-body injury, and the Islanders struggled to make up for his absence. Known primarily for his dynamic skating and passing, he scored a career-high 23 goals last season. Barzal is in his ninth season with the Islanders but still is only 27.

25: Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's

It has been a while since a St. John’s player cracked our list, but the resurgent Red Storm deserve representation, and Ejiofor deserves to be the representative. Coach Rick Pitino calls the 6-9 junior forward his best player. Ejiofor's buzzer-beater shocked Providence on Dec. 20.

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.