For better and sometimes for worse, being a professional athlete in New York comes with an astounding amount of pressure. Some people hate that; others thrive on it. Would-be stars who arrive with savior-like expectations and wilt are reviled instantly, while those that can meet the challenge end up getting pets across the city named after them.
With apologies to all the aging Big Apple bulldogs named Jeter or Eli, and all the dudes at the park still hitting the Melo “three to the dome” celebration, this is a new era. All four of NYC’s basketball and hockey teams are currently in the playoffs—five if you extend into Newark and include the Devils—while the Yankees and Mets look likely to qualify for the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1999-2000. Things are hot, and with a WNBA superteam in Brooklyn waiting for their season to start in late-May, the scene is about to get even more invigorating.
We’ve taken it upon ourselves to name the King of New York, as well as nine other people who are gunning for the throne. We’ll be updating the list all year long, so make sure to check back in and see who’s on top.
10. Daniel Jones
Team: New York Giants
Position: Quarterback
NEW YORK FACTOID: He’s honestly pretty boring, but in 2019 he celebrated a Giants’ win by throwing napkins all over a Hoboken bar and cheating in a game of flip cup with Eli Manning.
Eighty-two million dollars of guaranteed money can get you a lot, including a place in the King of New York discussion. The jury is still out on whether Jones is, umm, good, but he got the Giants to the playoffs and is poised to be their QB1 for the next few years—two things that his green-and-white neighbors can’t say about themselves.
9. Igor Shesterkin
Team: New York Rangers
Position: Goaltender
NEW YORK FACTOID: He and his girlfriend run an Instagram account for their dog, Simba.
Hockey doesn’t move the needle across the five boroughs like the other big three sports, but the diehards love their Rangers, and especially the guy who serves as their last line of defense. Shesterkin is one of the best goalies in the league—a title he took seamlessly from Henrik Lundqvist, the guy he replaced in New York’s net—and one of the main reasons the Blueshirts have Stanley Cup aspirations.
8. Pete Alonso
Team: New York Mets
Position: First Base
NEW YORK FACTOID: Earlier this year he debuted some I LOVE NY batting gloves.
Everyone loves home runs. That’s been Alonso’s whole thing since he joined the Mets in 2019, and he’s still mashing taters in 2023. Until he stops, he’s got a place on this list in perpetuity.
7. Francisco Lindor
Team: New York Mets
Position: Shortstop
NEW YORK FACTOID: He’s done some modeling for Aimé Leon Dore.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets reacts after the Mets got the final out of the ninth inning to send their game against the Oakland Athletics to extra innings at RingCentral Coliseum on April 16, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Matthew Roberson
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