Athletes who will dominate 2019

Milwaukee has been rolling early in the 2018-19 season, and The Greek Freak is a big reason why. Antetokounmpo looks like the favorite to win league MVP, averaging 26.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per contest through 23 games, and the Bucks have reason for even bigger aspirations in 2019.

The two headliners of this offseason's MLB free agency are Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, but there's only one headliner next year. Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is entering his walk year and likely to receive a massive haul with a streak of six straight Gold Gloves and four straight Silver Sluggers going into 2019.

The likely NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Barkley surpassed 1,500 yards from scrimmage in his 13th game of the season. The Giants were criticized for overlooking quarterbacks to draft Barkley second overall in this year's draft, but he is already a star and set to possibly do even bigger things in 2019.

The top college basketball recruit in the country last year, Barrett leads Duke with 24.2 points per game, adding 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists through his first 10 games. Barrett is likely a one-and-done at Duke, but before he leaves, he has the chance to lead a historic freshman class to a national championship.

Bosa missed nearly all of this season at Ohio State due to injury, but he remained the consensus top prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft. The sack artist is considered by some to be even more talented than his Pro Bowl brother, Joey, and will look great next season for a needy team like the Raiders or 49ers.

Betts won his first MVP Award in 2018, and there's no reason to think he's not capable again next season. The Red Sox leadoff man led the AL with a .346 batting average, 129 runs scored and a .640 slugging percentage. Betts has now finished in the top six in MVP voting in each of the last three seasons and is looking to cap off his career year with another in 2019.

The 39-year-old Cormier is ranked by UFC as the pound-for-pound top fighter in the world and the current champion of both of the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. Cormier took down Derrick Lewis in UFC 230 and will look to continue dominating the circuit in 2019.

Currently the No. 1 ranked men's tennis player in the world, Djokovic won both Wimbledon and the US open in 2018. He's hoping to add to his 14 Grand Slams next year, still clearly in his prime at age 31.

Donald is getting legitimate consideration for NFL MVP, which is about all that needs to be said about his dominance, considering he's a defensive lineman. He had a whopping 12.5 sacks through 12 games and should continue to dominate in 2019.

The hype looks real for Doncic, the third-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He's the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, averaging 18.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists through 23 games for the Mavs. The rebuilding Dallas squad looks like it has its core player.

Durant seems to be peaking at the right time, averaging 29.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 27 games this season. Not only does he have a chance to win another championship with the Warriors in 2019, but he will also be a free agent following the season.

Goff has come into his own over the last two seasons, emerging as one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league. Todd Gurley gets much of the credit in L.A., but Goff is well on his way to another career years in one of the top offenses in the league. The Rams should continue to push for the Super Bowl in 2019 with Goff on his rookie deal.

The son of the Hall of Fame outfielder, Vlad Jr. is one of the best hitting prospects we've seen in years. Last year he hit .381-20-78 between four levels over 408 plate appearances, and he's likely to see the majors early in 2019. Blue Jays fans are excited for good reason.

If there was any doubt entering the year, Gurley has erased it as the top running back in the game during 2018. Through Week 13, Gurley led the league with 1,175 yards rushing and 15 rushing touchdowns and will just be entering his age 25 season in 2019.

Success has been slow in L.A., as expected, but James continues to be the league's top all-around player going on age 34. He's averaged 28.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists through 26 games with his new team and continues to age gracefully into 2019.

Hachimura is the biggest star of a loaded Gonzaga squad and has gotten off to a fast start in 2018. The 6-foot-8 forward has averaged 22.2 points and 6.2 rebounds through nine games and has an excellent shot to lead the Bulldogs back to the Final Four.

The top-ranked women's tennis player in the world, Halep won the French Open and advanced to the finals in the Australian Open during 2018. The Romanian is just shaping up into her prime at age 27, as she looks to add more Grand Slams next year.

The likely NFL MVP in his first full season as a starter, Mahomes has taken the league by storm. The strong-armed quarterback has a chance to reach 50 touchdown passes during the regular season, and the Chiefs are also in position for a Super Bowl run. As he becomes more experienced, Mahomes could be even better next season.

Already one of the league's top stars at age 21, (he turns 22 in January) McDavid is off to an excellent start this season with 40 points in 28 games after reaching 100 points in each of the last two years. Edmonton has high hopes as the Oilers get into playoff position this year.

MacKinnon finished second in the Hart Trophy voting last year with a breakout season, finishing with 97 points. He already has 45 points in 30 games this season and a league-high 15 even-strength goals. The Avs star is quickly becoming one of the faces of the NHL.

Ronaldo started a new chapter in his career with Juventus in 2018. He will turn 34 in February but remains arguably the top soccer player in the world and will have plenty of chances to delight Italian soccer fans next year.

The Nats are set to lose Bryce Harper, but the emergence of Soto makes the loss more tolerable. At age 19, he hit .292-22-70 with a .923 OPS in only 116 games last season, finishing second in the NL Rookie of the Year vote to Ronald Acuna Jr. With a full season of playing time ahead, the sky is the limit.

Tagovailoa was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2018, and his Crimson Tide are the favorites to win their second consecutive national championship. He will return to Alabama next year for what will likely be his last college season before going on to the NFL and will likely be the favorite to win the Heisman after what he showed this year, passing for 3,353 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Can Trout get a little help here, please? The two-time AL MVP winner finished second in the race for the fourth time in 2018 and is just entering his age 27 season. Trout is under contract for just two more years, so the Angels should go all in soon, considering they've made the playoffs only once in his MLB career.

While R.J. Barrett is the top scorer at Duke early on, Williamson has received most of the headlines. An incredible athlete, Williamson has averaged 20.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest through 10 games and adds to his highlight reel in nearly every game. He's one big piece of a freshman clash that could lead Duke to another national championship before getting drafted in the top five in the NBA.