The city of Los Angeles is world-famous. It is home to Hollywood, as well as some of the biggest names in television and film. 2020 shut large parts of the film industry down. Fortunately, the sports world stepped up to deliver fantastic entertainment. After the tragic news of Kobe Bryant‘s death allied to Covid locking the city down, LA endured a challenging year. Thankfully, the LA teams brought joy to the town. The Dodgers finally ended their World Series drought, while the Lakers took an emotional championship win in the NBA bubble. It was a brilliant sporting year in Los Angeles and now its time to analyze who makes it into our top ten.
Ten – Justin Herbert
The rookie sensation out of Oregon burst onto the NFL stage in 2020. Herbert went from understudy to superstar in an instant. After Tyrod Taylor‘s punctured lung, Herbert went on to enjoy a superlative season. Herbert is a shoo-in for Rookie of The Year after he played at an MVP level as a walk-on rookie. Herbert threw for over 4000 yards with 31 touchdowns. It was a magnificent year with much more to come. A new head coach will work with Herbert next year. It is exciting being a Chargers fan.
Nine – Clayton Kershaw
The future Hall of Famer banished the playoff demons to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series. An ERA of 2.16 underlined his regular-season form. Kershaw looked healthier, while he also seemed to relish the veteran’s role in the Pitcher’s room. A 60 game season helped him stay fresh for October. A 4-1 record included a gem against the Brewers in which Milwaukee got shut out. However, that wasn’t the defining game of Kershaw’s postseason.
It was Game Five of the World Series. The Rays just stole a crazy win in Game Four and the momentum shifted. Kershaw started the next game. All the media hacks were out to print their latest version of, ‘Kershaw Chokes’. Instead, Kershaw worked five fine innings to set the Dodgers on their way. Los Angeles duly won games five and six to take the Commissioner’s Trophy back to Chavez Ravine.
Eight – Jalen Ramsey
Jalen Ramsey is back to his All-Pro best. The Rams cornerback endured a tough first year in Los Angeles. 2020 saw him change that completely. The Rams are the best pass defense in the NFL, much of that is down to Ramsey’s excellent play. He continues to lock up wide receivers every week. The defense is the key reason why the Rams are in the playoffs; it will be the key reason to go far. Ramsey will need to continue his superb form in the postseason.
Seven – Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis was Robin to Lebron James’ Batman. The power forward enjoyed another stellar season, with another solid 26.1 PPG. Davis’ strong performances, paired with his strong leadership skills, helped the Lakers win the NBA Championship. Davis demonstrated his skills on the floor in the bubble, showing he really can do everything. Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers are Lebron James’ team, though they will always need Anthony Davis. After all, Batman needed Robin.
Six – Corey Seager
Corey Seager became Baseball’s premier Shortstop last October. The North Carolina native scooped up the NLCS MVP plus the World Series MVP. Seager’s postseason was magnificent, coming up clutch in critical moments. Especially in the NLCS, the Dodgers were down in that series and Seager dragged them back into it. He won the pennant for Los Angeles. Seager is only the eighth player to win both MVP awards. He also tied the record for most home runs by a shortstop in the postseason. 2020 saw Corey Seager become the heartbeat of the LA Dodgers.
Five – Walker Buehler
Sandy Koufax, Orel Hershiser and Clayton Kershaw. Maybe the three greatest Dodger pitchers in history. Walker Buehler is chasing that triumvirate. The 2020 season witnessed Buehler become the ace of the Dodgers rotation. He led with remarkable poise in the postseason. The hotter the situations got, the icier Buehler got. The youngster stayed calm under pressure, the blueprint to October success. He was clutch against Atlanta in the NLCS and dominated game three of the World Series. He struck out ten batters in that game as he worked six splendid innings. Walker Buehler will only get better. He is still young. There will be no days off for Buehler in the City of Angels.
Four – LeBron James
The pressure finally came off LeBron James as he delivered an emotional championship win for the Lakers. Lebron started quietly in the bubble, gradually playing himself into form. In the finals, James went into overdrive. The former Cleveland star was dominant. He won the NBA Finals MVP. He put the team on his back, dragging them to a momentous victory. The Akron native is now 36 years old and his career is coming to an end. However, LeBron James is still the King in the NBA. The 2021 season is underway and James will be hungry to run it back.
Three – Mike Trout
Mike Trout is a special Baseball player. The Angels outfielder is guaranteed to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is a four-time MVP winner with a career WAR of a staggering 74.6. Trout also owns an OPS of .1000 exactly. 2020 was a slightly down year for Trout. His batting average dipped below .300 while he only hit 17 home runs.
Nevertheless, no one should dismiss Trout’s skill. He is the understated superstar of baseball. By the time Trout retires, the baseball cognoscenti may consider him the greatest outfielder ever.
Two – Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald is a wrecking ball disguised as a human being. The tackle is an incredible player. He routinely makes life difficult for opposing linemen and quarterbacks. Once again, he leads the NFL in pressure while he is second in sacks. Donald does this every year. The fact that he does it from the inside is even more remarkable. Outside of quarterbacks, Donald is the best player in the NFL. Los Angeles will need him at his wrecking-ball best if the Rams are to succeed in the playoffs.
One – Mookie Betts
The Boston Red Sox inexplicably traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers. Their best outfielder since Ted Williams was willingly let go. Their loss was Los Angeles’ gain. Betts is a five-tool player who excels at every element of play. While his regular-season wasn’t eyebrow-raising, Betts came alive in the playoffs. Fifteen runs, six stolen bases and 21 hits all featured on the stat sheet for Betts. He won the Dodgers game one due to his elite base-running, while his homer in game six opened the door for the Dodgers to win the World Series. Betts is an incredible player who will now call Los Angeles home for the next decade. Expect more scintillating play from the outfielder.
