Breakout athletes of 2017

The Greek Freak won the Most Improved Player Award in 2016-17 after averaging 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. He's taken his game to another level early this season, averaging nearly 30 points per game.

Ball was a breakout star at UCLA in his one-and-done season. He's had somewhat of an up-and-down start to his NBA career after being drafted second overall by the Lakers, but is averaging 8.7 points, 7 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game.

Bellinger won NL Rookie of the Year after launching 39 home runs in only 132 games for the Dodgers. With Adrian Gonzalez on his last leg, Bellinger is almost certainly the first baseman of the future in L.A.

Booker had a great sophomore year for the Suns, averaging 22.1 points per game. Despite the team's struggles, he's continued to improve this season.

Brogdon was the surprising NBA Rookie of the Year in 2016-17 after being drafted in the second round by the Bucks. He averaged 10.2 points per game and has improved that average to better than 13 points early this season.

What a difference a head coach can make. Goff was 0-7 in his starts during his rookie season and looked lost, but he's been terrific this year. Goff has started 9-3, with an impressive 8.12 yards per pass attempt.

Hoskins had a record-setting 18 home runs in his first 34 MLB games for the Phillies. He gives Phils fans optimism after hitting .259-18-48 with a 1.014 OPS in only 50 games during his debut campaign.

A third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Hunt is a top candidate for Rookie of the Year with nearly 1,300 yards from scrimmage through his first 12 NFL games. The Chiefs got off to a quick 5-0 start due to his breakout though are stumbling of late.

Judge finished second in the MVP voting in his rookie season while taking home Rookie of the Year, leading the AL in home runs, runs scored and walks. The Yankees have a star on their hands.

Keenum was an afterthought entering the season as Minnesota's backup quarterback, but he's been able to replace Sam Bradford and hold off Teddy Bridgewater by going 7-2 in his starts. He has an impressive 14/5 TD/INT in his first season with the Vikings.

Kucherov made his third straight All-Star appearance in 2016-17, and his improvement was terrific. He had a career-high 85 points and led the league with 17 power-play goals. He's off to another great start this season, leading the league with 19 goals and 38 points in only 26 games.

Overshadowed by fellow rookie Auston Matthews, Laine was also terrific in his rookie season. He had 64 points in 73 games for the Jets at age 18 and is continuing his scoring ways this season.

Lawrence is one of the front-runners for Defensive Player of the Year with a league-leading 13.5 sacks in only 12 games. He's been a key to a Dallas defense that lost significant talent in the secondary during the offseason.

Love has been incredible replacing Christian McCaffrey at running back for the Cardinal. Through the Pac-12 Championship Game, he had 1,973 yards rushing and 17 scores.

Matthews was the talk of the NHL in his rookie season, finishing with 69 points, including 40 goals. He won the Calder Trophy and is off to an even better start this season.

Maye was the Tar Heels' hero in the NCAA Tournament last season, and he's having a breakout 2017-18 season with more regular playing time. He's averaged more than 20 points per game through November.

Mitchell is one of the favorites to win Rookie of the Year after going 13th overall in the NBA Draft. The Louisville alumnus is averaged more than 16 points per game through 23 contests.

Ramirez had a very good 2016 season, but he was a star in 2017 for Cleveland. He finished third in the AL MVP voting, hitting .318-29-83 with 17 stolen bases.

After a disappointing 2016 season, Severino made up for it this year. He was the Yankees' ace, going 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA and 230 strikeouts in 193.1 innings.

Simmons sat out last season due to injury, but he's been incredible in his first NBA season on the court. He's averaging nearly 18 points, 9.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists through 21 games.

Stroman started his year as the MVP of the USA World Baseball Classic champions and capitalized on that success during the MLB season. The ground-ball pitcher finished 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 201 innings.

The undrafted Thielen made noise last season with nearly 1,000 receiving yards, but he's easily exceed that this season in only 12 games. The Minnesota native has become a legitimate No. 1 wideout.

Wentz is one of the favorites NFL MVP with a league-leading 29 touchdown passes through 12 games for the Eagles. He's ascended with the help of Alshon Jeffery and a solid running back committee.

White became nationally known with his performance in Super Bowl LI, scoring three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime. The versatile back has continued to be a major weapon for the Patriots this season.

Notre Dame struggled with DeShone Kizer at quarterback last season but has had a renaissance with Wimbush. While he completed less than 50 percent of his passes during the regular season, Wimbush threw 16 touchdowns and had 766 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores.