Cleveland is home to not only great sports teams but great athletes all over the place, and these are the top 40 athletes who call Cleveland home.
The Cleveland sports scene is home to the Browns, the Monsters, the Indians, and the Cavaliers. All four teams, however, have lost many great legends over the last few years. Names like LeBron James, Joe Thomas, Jason Kipnis, Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley and even up and coming names like Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey have all come and gone for numerous reasons. It almost makes one feel like all the greats are gone, or leaving. Especially in the case of Francisco Lindor.
Yet, that’s not the case. There are plenty of athletes still calling Cleveland home today and while some of them might not be legends yet, the city has always had stars to call their own in some form or another. With rising NFL stars like Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb, to the Indians evolving corp of starting pitchers and the Cavaliers young corp; there are so many names to keep an eye on as the years’ progress.
We’d also be remiss in not mentioning the combat sports athletes of the day as well.
Just for clarity, there might be names you think should be on this list that I don’t agree with. There might also be some names that I completely forgot about. That isn’t the case for many but say if there’s a boxer or another fighter I’m not aware of that should be on here, yeah, that’s probably fair to say I forgot them. A different football player though? No.
This list is only looking at current athletes who are active on or playing for a Cleveland team as of the spring of 2020. That or someone who still has strong ties to Cleveland, but don’t play a team sport. So with that, let’s acknowledge several athletes that just missed the cut.
The Browns’ current starting offensive guard Wyatt Teller, defensive end Oliver Vernon and second string running back Kareem Hunt, and the Cleveland Monsters 2019-2020 two top goal scorers Stefan Matteau and Trey Fix-Wolansky. As well as WWE’s Nick Nemeth, aka Dolph Ziggler, and MMA’s Jessica Eye and Tywan Claxton.
40. Browns K Austin Seibert
It may seem odd to have a kicker in the top-40 but he’s someone that actually has the potential of sticking around long term, and helping the team move forward in a post-Phil Dawson NFL-era.
39. Indians SP Adam Plutko
Not exactly Jake Westbrook type of popularity here but Adam Plutko has done a great job stepping into shoes left by more accomplished Tribe pitchers as they battled injuries.
38. Indians 1B Jake Bauers
The hope of the Indians’ future hangs on Jake Bauers’ broad shoulders. Hopefully, he can muster together a better 2020 season than he had in 2019.
37. Cavaliers PG Darius Garland
Darius Garland hasn’t been the ray of sunshine the Cavs have hoped for, especially when you realize how great some rookies taken after him, like a Tyler Herro, have been.
36. Cleveland Monsters Adam Clendening
Most fans reading this may not know much of the professional hockey team in Cleveland, the Monsters, but Adam Clendening is the leading points scorer for the Columbus Blue Jackets minor league affiliate.
35. Browns LB Sione Takitaki
A popular player for the Browns fanbase, though Takitaki has yet to prove his worthiness of such fanfare due to a lack of playing time in the 2019 season, his rookie year. Expected to step up with Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert no longer with the team.
34. Indians RP Oliver Perez
Once a starter and a hopeful ace for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oliver Perez has secured a swan song performance for his career as a Tribe middle to long reliever out of the pen.
33. Browns TE David Njoku
Despite an injury-plagued, up and down tenure with the Browns so far, the embattled tight end is still very popular despite being relegated to second-string status following the 2020 NFL free agency period.
32. Indians C Roberto Perez
Fans have flocked to Roberto Perez, who at age 30 had his best year as a catcher for the Indians. He hit 24 home runs in his first year as the team’s primary catcher.
31. Cavaliers SF Cedi Osman
Beloved do-everything Cavalier, Cedi Osman has become a Cleveland staple for the rebuilding franchise, and fans love his versatility and selfless style of play.
30. Indians OF Bradley Zimmer
Injuries have sapped this one great prospect of hype, but the potential remains as Bradley Zimmer looks to once again assert his name into discussions for the Tribes starting outfield positions.
29. Browns CEN JC Tretter
Not the sexiest name on this list, but J.C. Tretter has proven to be reliable and every bit as viable as some of the other Browns on this list.
28. Indians 1B/OF Framil Reyes
Fans like home runs. They like big, looping swings. They like watching balls fly out of stadiums like a spaceship breaching orbit. That’s why they love Framil Reyes.
27. Cavaliers SG/SF Kevin Porter Jr.
While he takes a lot of shots and may not play well off the ball yet, Kevin Porter Jr. was barely a first-round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and is playing like a lottery pick for the rebuilding Cavs.
26. Browns LB Mack Wilson
Expectations are high for Mack Wilson to step up and replace one of the two former starters in this new era of Browns football. The 5th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft had 82 combined tackles in his rookie season.
25. Browns CB Greedy Williams
The second-round pick in the same draft had a good rookie season as well but was inconsistent at times. Optimism for his growth is high, despite rookie year growing pains.
24. Indians OF Tyler Naquin
Under-appreciated by the club but a grinder of a player. Has shown to have great defensive skills, and a solid .280 average when given the chance to play full time. Should be a starter for the 2020 Cleveland Indians.
23. Indians CL Brad Hand
Brad Hand is an All-Star closer for the Cleveland Indians, earning his third visit to the Mid-Summer Classic in his first full year with the Indians in 2019. Has quickly become a popular player for the reloading Tribe.
22. Browns DT Larry Ogunjobi
Had the Browns not foolishly traded Jabrill Peppers, then three of the teams 11 starters on defense in 2019 and 2020 would have been from the 2017 NFL Draft, with Larry Ogunjobi being one of the more surprising and consistent players from that classes’ later rounds.
21. Cavaliers C/PF Tristan Thompson
A double-double sixth man for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tristan Thompson became more famous for his love life than his skills as a former number four overall NBA Draft selection. A career revival in 2020 has re-submitted Thompson as a viable defensive centerpiece.
20. Cavaliers PG Matthew Dellavedova
While not a great talent, his grinding efforts, solid defensive plays and willingness to take on the best in the league has made Matthew “Delly” Dellavedova an icon in Cleveland Sports history alongside similar unsung hero types like Anderson Varejao, Daniel Gibson, John MacDonald or Aaron Shea. Guys who didn’t have the stats but who were always fan favorites.
19. Cavaliers PF/C Larry Nance Jr.
Currently, the only son of an area legend on this list, Larry Nance Jr. carries his father’s namesake and number as he plays an important role for the rebuilding Cavaliers. While not the dynamic scorer his father was, the high flying son of Larry Nance Sr. has made many highlights with his impressive vertical athletism and skilled dunks.
Continued development of his shooting form has allowed him more confidence to stretch the court and shoot three-point attempts but it’s still not his primary skill. Could be a starter on the team if it wasn’t for the dynamic skillsets of Kevin Love and Andre Drummond.
18. Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr
While some would think this is low, Odell Beckham Jr. has only played one year in Cleveland and wasn’t at all impressive in it. He was slowed by injuries, hampered by poor play calling and has seen a downward spiral of production over the last three years. More in-season injuries and more post-season surgeries are libel to end the once-promising talent’s run as an elite player.
All that said, his profile as a very popular wide receiver still carries weight with the fan base, and his arrival signified a changing of expectations for the maligned football franchise. Gone were the days of fans hoping the Browns to “just don’t suck” and instead came “playoff contenders” talk. These new expectations aren’t all on Beckham but he was the final piece to that conversation’s puzzle.
17. World Wrestling Entertainment’s Mike “The Miz” Mizanin
While some may not like a pro wrestler being on this list, the WWE’s Mike “The Miz” Mizanin does qualify. While now living out of state, Mizanin is still an avid fan of the sports teams in Cleveland and was a high school graduate from Parma’s Normandy High (Go Invaders!). His success in the world of pro wrestling was never a guarantee, having come over with much disdain by that fanbase following several years as a reality T.V. personality.
Since 2007 however, Mizanin’s pro wrestling personality, The Miz, has seen much success. While championships in pro wrestling are determined by bookers and owners, it’s a sign of one’s potential, star power, and overall skill set. These belts are more akin to a gymnast earning a winning score on a routine than anything else. Which means being a promotions champion is a respectable feat regardless.
16. Cavaliers C Andre Drummond
A new addition to the Cleveland Cavaliers, former Pistons center Andre Drummond seems to be sticking around for at least the next 2020-2021 season. The former Detroit-All Star is one of the leagues’ best rebounding and defensive-minded centers in all of the NBA. His arrival in Cleveland has lead many to start thinking about an accelerated rebuilding timeline.
With Drummond and Kevin Love now in the low post, few teams have a better low-post pair in the entire league. If Drummond end’s up re-signing after the 2021 season, then the Cavs could very well be playoff contenders for years to come. Assuming the younger stars do in fact make progress in their own development.
15. Browns G Joel Bitonio
Joel Bitonio is on a stellar course for his career. An interior lineman with quick hips and good strength will find himself being used to perfection in the new system Kevin Stefanski intends on implementing in Cleveland. The two-time Pro Bowler and one of the five best guards in all of the NFL will have no problem showing the league the depth of his true talents.
Besides Joe Thomas and possibly Alex Mack, Bitonio has been the Browns best linemen since returning to the league in 1999 and has become a staple and standout on a line that was, at best, maligned by inconsistent play in the 2019 season. He still helped Nick Chubb blow past defenses with a rushing average of 5.0 yards a carry.
14. Indians SP Shane Bieber
Sharing a surname, but not having any relation (that we know of) with troubled pop-star Justin Bieber can’t be easy. A little-heralded Indians prospect, Bieber made his debut with the club’s major league affiliate in 2018 and posted respectable rookie stats, winning 11 games and having a 4.55 ERA.
His follow up season saw even more winning and even better control of his pitches. He won another 15 games, while also dropping his ERA to 3.28, having three complete games and more than doubled his strikeouts from season to season (118 to 259). His 2019 All-Star selection and arrival as the heir-apparent ace of the staff made it easier (but not easy) to move on from the injured franchise icon, Corey Kluber.
13. Browns CB Denzel Ward
While Denzel Ward didn’t repeat his Pro Bowl success in his sophomore season, the Browns cornerback is one of the most vaunted young players on the team’s roster currently. Ward’s somewhat down 2019 doesn’t detour his rising star on the NFL’s national stage.
Ward is one of the few cornerstone pieces of the Browns and is an absolute necessity to the team’s continuing resurgence from the laughing-stock of the NFL to a viable playoff team on a consistent basis. His skill set isn’t just steeped in natural athleticism either, as Ward has shown to be a brilliant player with great technique who outworks his opposition in the film room, as well as on the field.
12. Indians 1B/DH Carlos Santana
Despite leaving once already, Carlos Santana has remained a beloved Cleveland Indians player to the city and its fanbase. Santana continues to be impressive at the plate, having a career year in 2019 at the age of 33.
He hit his best average for a full season (.281), tied for his most home runs (34) in a season, and posted a career-high 93 RBI’s for the year. He also went to his first All-Star game doing so rightfully as a member of the Cleveland Indians. His one year stint in Philadelphia should go down as a unique trivia question as Santana integrates back into the town for the remainder of his current contract and possibly the rest of his career.
11. Indians 3B Jose Ramirez
Former MVP candidate Jose Ramirez would have been higher on this list had he not followed up his stellar 2018 campaign with a maligned and disappointing first-half of his 2019 season. Ramirez couldn’t hit the broad side of a canyon wall, let alone a baseball for nearly three months in 2019 but he eventually battled back and finished with respectable numbers.
Despite a down year, the two-time All-Star is one of the most beloved players in an Indians uniform, and has shown not only consistent growth with the club but has also become someone the team values and intends to build around as one of its key blocks. That is if he actually plays the entire 2020 season and not just half of it.
10. Cavaliers SG Collin Sexton
Often dragged by Cleveland Cavalier fans for being a bullish, ball-hog type of player, Collin Sexton has given the Cavs a steady scoring option every night he plays. While yes, you’d want him to pass the ball just a smidge more when the defensive scheme is on top of him, but he’s young and learning.
Already a 20-point scorer in his second season in Cleveland, Sexton has shown to be a valuable building block for the Cavs. Growing pains are expected but if he continues to improve and learn the rhythm of the pro game a bit more, then Sexton could be the next Cavalier great.
9. Indians SP Mike Clevinger
The Indians are in a great place with Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger taking their rightful places at the top of the Indians’ rotation. While Bieber is the team’s next ace, that’s because of his youth and flamethrower arm, but right now, Clevinger is the best starter on the team. He’s got a marketable look with Thor-like hair and a punk-rock tattoo sleeve and that hasn’t gotten lost on the Indians fanbase.
While still young at 28 years old, Clevinger is only now stepping out from behind the shadows of Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber, while making a play to be seen as one of the new faces of the franchise along with Bieber, Jose Ramirez, and Francisco Lindor.
8. Browns DE Myles Garrett
The Pittsburgh helmet incident has tarnished his legacy. There is no excuse or defense of what he did. This hurt his overall standing as many in the Browns fanbase rightfully thought he should have been suspended indefinitely following the incident. The moment tarnished his legacy and took focus from a team that was already having its fair share of issues.
That doesn’t mean he can’t earn it back. Yet, the way he’s currently going about it is not helping him at all. Garrett is a tremendous player who’s going to need to work off the bad-mojo the old fashion way; staying out of trouble, producing on the field and being an upstanding citizen in the community.
7. Indians SP Carlos Carrasco
Carlos Carrasco might just be the most beloved and celebrated player right now for the Indians. After battling a life-threatening disease last year, Carrasco came back to pitch only months after the diagnosis and treatment. His desire to battle back and return to form was nothing short of amazing to witness.
While never an All-Star, Carrasco has always been one of the Major’s 20 best starting pitchers since his full-time arrival in 2015. He almost always flirts with 200-strikeouts year after year and has been reliable during both the regular and postseasons.
6. Browns WR Jarvis Landry
The Browns wide-out became just the third receiver since 1999 to go to the Pro Bowl as a member of the club. For Browns fans, Jarvis Landry is someone long overdue to arrive in Cleveland. Landry’s two straight Pro Bowl selections as a Brown is proof that he’s not just one of the best receivers in the league but arguably the best the Browns have had since their return in 1999 if not ever.
Landry is a focal point for next season, with him and TE Austin Hooper going to see many passes coming their way, courtesy of the play-action pass. Should Landry continue this level of production throughout the rest of his contract and beyond, he might find himself moving a few miles south from Cleveland to Canton when it’s all said and done.
5. Browns RB Nick Chubb
While it’s still way too early to anoint Nick Chubb as the best running back since Jim Brown to ever put on a Browns uniform, Chubb isn’t making it easy to avoid that conversation. He’s averaging 5.0 yards a carry and should have two back-to-back 1,000 seasons and would have if the team had started him in all 16 games, and not just the last nine.
Chubb’s production is on another level and while Tennessee’s Derrick Henry is rightfully getting a lot of love by the national media, as far as I’m concerned he can’t carry a torch against Chubb. Chubb is the third-best running back in the league and that’s only because number’s one and two are Christian McCaffery and Saquon Barkley. If Chubb can become a 700-yard type receiver out of the backfield like Barkley and McCaffery, then we’ll talk about Chubb being the top guy at his position.
4. Browns QB Baker Mayfield
While some Browns faithful understand that Baker Mayfield is a true talent, others will find this pick controversial. Mayfield is the only quarterback since Brian Sipe to have back-to-back 20+ touchdown seasons in Browns history. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history already and he’s only entering year three. Sure, the bar is low, as the team really only ever had three true stars at the position (Sipe, Bernie Kosar, Otto Graham), and save for Sipe, Mayfield has already posted better stats in his first two years than the others.
Sure, different eras, different expectations, and all that jazz but still. The point stands.
Mayfield hasn’t always been on the right side of things and has made himself a target for both the local and national media alike. Sure, when it comes to certain guys like Collin Cowherd and Tony Grossi, there does seem to be a lot of bias there against Mayfield for his past mistakes, but that doesn’t mean that any time the media criticizes him that they’re wrong. Mayfield doesn’t always hold himself to the highest standards of accountability.
Though that seems to be changing. Especially in more recent times. When Grossi got suspended for his disparaging and unprofessional comments about Mayfield, the star quarterback was largely quiet during the whole time, choosing instead to take the high road. The show of maturity from Mayfield may hint at a young man who’s coming into his own, right when the team he represents is on the precipice of something truly exciting. Gone are the wish-fulfillment years of seasons gone by and here is a truly unique and rare expectation of a team that can truly be good.
That is assuming the team finishes the 2020 off-season making all the right choices as they’ve done through the first part of it. Should the team continue to be built correctly, Mayfield will walk in the 2020 season ready to take his seat on the throne of Greatest Quarterbacks in Browns history.
One doesn’t just sit on that throne, however, Brian Sipe has earned that seat. It’ll take Mayfield a playoff win or two to get him even into that conversation.
3. Cavaliers PF Kevin Love
This might be also controversial, but yes, Kevin Love is the face of the Cavaliers. He’s a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA caliber player. He’s one of a few players on this current squad with an NBA Championship and he’s on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Yes, Love is the face of the franchise for better or worse, and for that reason most of all he’s this high.
He’s also becoming a more respected person, beyond just his status as a player. His stances and support of those struggling with mental health issues have earned him a whole heap of new support from passionate long time fans, to once former detractors. He’s been on the front lines of treating mental health issues seriously and offering words of encouragement to those suffering.
He also took a leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic and lead the Cavaliers and other NBA’ers to step in and step up for the arena workers around the league who would lose out on needed income during a trying time. Which of course was needed due to the postponement of the league’s season. The Cavs star has shown a willingness to lead by example for the community in which he plays and fans don’t forget stuff like that.
While Love is usually at the center of trade talks and seemingly has been since he arrived in Cleveland in 2014, it’s never felt like fans wanted him to leave. Just that they wanted to maximize his value. Whether that’s true or not for everyone is up in the air, but Love has shown to be someone how can have a positive impact on the team, even if there seem to be a few missteps from him from time to time.
Love will go down as a Cavs all-time great, and his number zero might one day hang in the rafters with other former Cavaliers greats.
2. Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Stipe Miocic
This shouldn’t surprise many that Stipe Miocic is this high but it might, so here’s why he earned such a high spot. If you’re not familiar with mixed martial arts, or MMA as it’s referred to, you may not know that Stipe Miocic is a great fighter. In the world of MMA, especially in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), fighters at the heavyweight level don’t often have long runs at the top of the division. It takes a special fighter to hold onto a belt at that weight class for as longa s Miocic has done it.
Now a two-time champion, Miocic has the heavyweight record for most title defenses ever, as well as the most title defenses in a row; both of which stand at three. He’s earned many distinctions in the world of MMA and is one of the UFC’s best ever. A future enshrinement into the UFC’s Hall of Fame will be forthcoming when it’s all said and done.
Yet, it’s not just his fighting career that has him in such a vaunted spot. Miocic is also a local-area firefighter and EMT for the Valley View, OH fire department. While just part-time now, Miocic may transition fulltime to it after his career is over.
His career has been an astounding success and has headlined (as of press time) the only UFC event to ever come to Cleveland. No surprise, Miocic not only packed the Rocket Mortage Arena with a sell-out but defeated Alistair Overeem to earn his first-ever defense of the UFC heavyweight title. His popularity in the area is so big, that he joined the Cleveland Monsters (then called Lake Erie Monsters) and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 championship parade that saw the Monsters, Cavs and even Miocic celebrate their respective championship wins.
For a fun little fact, Miocic’s wife, and Mike Mizanin both went to Normandy High School, just at different times. The world is a small place.
1. Indians SS Francisco Lindor
He’s not just the face of the Cleveland Indians, but no one is more beloved by the town at this moment than Francisco Lindor. Lindor has defined an era of sustained success for the Indians and has easily been the best shortstop since Omar Vizquel. Perhaps he may one day be the best shortstops in Indians history.
If not in all of baseball history.
The future isn’t clear when it comes to Lindor. He’s going to get huge contract offers, and it’s right to take more money if that’s what he values most. Sure, baseball’s entire free agency is broken and contracts never pan out, crippling clubs for years. That’s MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s problem though, not Lindor.
Unstainable contracts are killing the game and costing fans the most. With all that money out there, if Lindor somehow stays in Cleveland beyond next season, it’ll be as close to a modern miracle as one could get. Which is what the town deserves because Lindor is simply that special.
That’s the thing about Lindor, he is special. Not because his stats at the plate are crazy, because they’re not. Not really. He’s only a .288 career hitter, he’s only topped 90 RBI’s once and while his home run totals are great for a player like him, with more home runs comes more strikeouts. At the batter’s box, he’s a good, maybe great player. He’s not Mike Trout nor is he in Trout’s orbit.
Defensively he’s every bit as good as Vizquel but that’s not why the city loves him. The city loves Lindor because Lindor loves the city. The man more famous for his million-dollar smile than his eventual $30 million dollar play has earned the love of the fanbase by being true to himself. By treating baseball as the game we all grew up loving as kids. Lindor in more than any other athlete on this list reminds us why we love sports.
Because they’re fun.
Lindor brings a youthful exuberance to the game in a way so rarely seen by today’s players. One of baseball’s best overall player is on an even more elite list one of sports best overall people. If Lindor does make his way out of Cleveland before his playing career is done, fans will be upset but only because Lindor is the type of player we wished made up all of our teams. One with passion, love, and respect for the game.
Lindor’s already a legend in Cleveland, and he’s barely just started his career.