The breakout athletes of 2019

Alonso surprised many when he broke camp with the Mets, and he never turned back. He now holds the rookie home run record with 53 long balls, establishing himself as the top power hitter in a 2019 season that was defined by the home run.

Alvarez wasn't promoted by the Astros until June, but he made up for lost time by hitting .313-27-78 in only 87 games. The 22-year-old designated hitter already looks like one of the top bats in baseball.

Barkov was a good player prior to last season, but he became a great one in 2018-19.  The Panthers center forward had a career-high 96 points and made his first All-Star appearance. He also won the Byng Trophy, to boot.

Cleveland went through 2019 without aces Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco for most of the season, but other pitchers were able to pick up the slack. Bieber was the team's biggest breakout, going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 259 strikeouts in 214.1 innings in his first full season.

Binnington was the biggest difference maker in a Blues season that was made for Hollywood. Coming off the bench, he allowed a league-best 1.89 goals against over 32 regular-season games and continued his spectacular play in the playoffs en route to the Blues' first Stanley Cup.

The second pick in this year's NFL draft, Bosa is well on his way to being named the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year. Through eight games played, he's been a difference maker for one of the league's breakout teams with seven sacks and a league-high 11 tackles for loss.

Burrow had his share of struggles in his first season as LSU quarterback in 2018, but he's now one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy. He's completed a whopping 78.9 percent of his passes for 3,198 yards and 33 touchdowns in only nine games for the Tigers.

Collier was a great college player at UConn and showed she could also excel as a pro, winning WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2019. She averaged 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds for the Lynx over 34 games.

The hype was real for Doncic, the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft from Slovenia. He won Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game for the Mavs.

Draisaitl is emerging as one of the NHL's true stars. He had 105 points and was an All-Star last season. The center forward leads the league with 34 points and is second with 14 goals in 19 games.

Ohio State continues to reload, with Fields its newest star quarterback. The Georgia transfer is a Heisman candidate in his first season as a starter, with 1,859 yards passing and 27/1 TD/INT, adding 347 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns over nine games.

Fox had a good rookie season for the Kings in 2017-18 but took his game to the next level last year. The former Kentucky star averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 assists as Sacramento's point guard and continues to blossom early this year.

With DeSean Jackson out of the way in Tampa Bay this season, Godwin is seeing more opportunities and fulfilling his potential. The third-year wideout has 60 receptions for 840 yards and six touchdowns through nine games.

Guy had a great season for the Cavaliers in 2017-18, but he became one of college basketball's most recognizable players by leading Virginia to a national championship in 2019. The guard averaged 15.4 points and shot nearly 43 percent from three during the regular season and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. He has since started his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings.

Jackson played well when he got an opportunity in his rookie season during 2018, but there were questions about his ability to throw the ball. The former Heisman Trophy winner is proving the doubters wrong as a top MVP candidate in his second year, with 2,036 yards passing and 702 yards rushing through only nine games.

Kucherov was already one of the NHL's best players prior to 2019, but he emerged as truly the best last season with a league-leading 128 points to win the Hart Trophy. Still just 26, he could be one of the league's top players for years to come.

Lavelle joined Team USA's household names like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd en route to winning gold at the 2019 Women's World Cup. The 24-year-old midfielder scored three goals in six games.

Toronto's former first-round pick has realized his potential, with 94 points last season at age 21. He's becoming the biggest star on one of the league's most storied franchises.

Marte was never much of a power hitter until last season. Splitting time between second base and center field, he hit .329-32-92 and made his first All-Star appearance for a Diamondbacks squad that needed the offense after losing Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock.

McLaurin fell to the third round of this year's NFL draft, and teams have to be regretting overlooking the former Ohio State wideout. He's become the top receiver on a bad Redskins team, with 32 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns through nine games.

A sixth-round rookie, Minshew replaced the injured Nick Foles in Week 1. Washington State football fans had Minshew fever last year, and that's carried across the country to Jacksonville with the rookie's breakout. He's started his career at 4-4, throwing for 2,285 yards and 13 touchdowns and even created some "Minshew Mania" while filling in for Foles.

Morant was a consensus All-American for Murray State last season, averaging 24.5 points and 10.0 assists during the regular season. The star guard's breakout season helped him get drafted second overall in 2019 by the Grizzlies.

Pettersson was the NHL's top rookie last season, winning the Calder Trophy after accumulating 66 points in 71 games at age 20. The Canucks star is continuing to build his profile this season as one of the league's top players.

In almost any other season, Soroka would be one of the biggest stories in baseball. However, he was a bit under the radar in a great year for rookies. He still became Atlanta's ace at age 21, going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 174.2 innings over 29 starts.

Williamson's combination of size and athleticism created a buzz we haven't seen in years from a college basketball player. He won the Wooden Award as a freshman, averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Blue Devils. He was selected first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Pelicans but suffered a knee injury just before the 2019-20 NBA season started and will miss several weeks.