By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: ESPN/NHL/Sports Illustrated
Playing in the New York market is never an easy task. Any athlete who comes to play in New York has to be mentally and physically prepared to give it 110% and deal with the New York media and its fan base.
New York’s fan base is not easy to please. In the history of New York sports, we have seen some of the greatest players to play in the largest market in the United States.
It might be a controversial list, but all five of these athletes have made their mark playing in New York. Their legacies are cemented, except for one athlete who is still playing; he has accomplished so much over the last 9 years.
Here are the top five most powerful New York athletes of all time
5) Aaron Judge
Judge may still be playing baseball, but what he has done from 2017 to present is astonishing. He’s already won three AL MVPs and broke Roger Maris ‘ single-season home run record as a Yankee in 2022.
Yes, he hasn’t won a World Series yet and constantly struggles in the postseason, but he’s undoubtedly the most beloved Yankees figure since Derek Jeter. He’s also the most powerful New York athlete right now in this era.
Judge is worthy to be on this list because he’s only getting better and has accomplished a lot at the age of 34 that many baseball players haven’t done so.
4) Lawrence Taylor
The greatest linebacker ever! Taylor played in a very physical era in football. Many players feared him once he stepped onto the football field.
His aggressiveness and toughness led the Giants to two Super Bowls. Taylor played for 13 seasons, all with the Giants. A 10-time Pro Bowler and 1986 NFL MVP. In addition, a three-time defensive player of the year. His career consists of 1,088 tackles and 142 sacks.
3) Mark Messier
Messier coming to the Rangers is one of the best decisions ever made in their franchise history. He played in the NHL for 25 seasons; seven of those were with the Rangers.
1994 was a year to remember for the New York Rangers. The pivotal moment for Messier as a Ranger came in Game 6 in the Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils. He delivered a promise that the Rangers were going to win. After trailing 2-0, Messier finished the game by picking up a hat trick.
The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup by beating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. Messier is one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time.
2) Babe Ruth
The Bambino! In many people’s eyes, the greatest baseball player of all time. During his time with the Yankees, from 1920 to 1934, he won four titles with the pinstripes, including the 1923 AL MVP and the 1924 batting title.
Ruth is one of those players who will always be in the minds of every baseball fan, historian, and Yankees fan. We still talk about him to this day. That’s how much he meant to New York and baseball overall.
1) Derek Jeter
The Captain! Jeter played for 20 seasons for the Yankees. He brought five championships to New York. One would argue that he should have had at least eight or ten.
Jeter never won a regular-season MVP like Judge, but he won the World Series MVP in 2000. Given that he played for one team for so long, as a winner, a class act, and a beloved figure, he is the most powerful athlete in New York sports history.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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