San Diego Padres turned heads when they boldly handed a huge $5.6million payday to 16-year-old catcher Ethan Salas over the weekend, making him one of the most intriguing teenagers in sport across the US.
But Salas is not the only teenager that is catching the eye with Arch Manning, nephew of Eli and Peyton, in the limelight, as well as the eldest son of LeBron James, Bronny James.
From Coco Gauff, 18, to 14-year-old soccer sensation Maximo Carrizo, DailyMail.com takes a look at ten teenage stars that are taking American sport by storm…
Ethan Salas has signed for the San Diego Padres and will receive a $5.6million bonus for it
Ethan Salas
Age: 16
Sport: Baseball
This move has been the talk of baseball since it was announced.
The 16-year-old, who is a consensus top prospect from this year’s class, has been handed a stunning $5.6million bonus by the San Diego Padres.
Salas, of Caracas, Venezuela, is the younger brother of Jose Salas, one of the top prospects in the Miami Marlins system.
The Salas brothers have a long pedigree. Their father, Jose Antonio, played in the Atlanta Braves’ organization; their uncle, Jose Gregorio, played in the Toronto Blue Jays’ system; and their grandfather, Jose Gregorio, played in the Houston Astros’ and Kansas City Royals’ systems.
The teen’s $5.6m signing-on bonus is the third-highest on the international market in Padres history, behind the $7m paid for Jorge Ona and the $11m for Adrian Morejon, in July 2016.
Salas is viewed as a future franchise star and is currently ranked No 1 among international prospects by both Baseball America and MLB.com.
The 16-year-old has been named the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 international class
Coco Gauff
Age: 18
Sport: Tennis
Coco Gauff is fast becoming the face of American tennis, especially with Serena Williams stepping away last year.
The 18-year-old is still on the hunt for a first Grand Slam singles title but came close in reaching the French Open final in 2022.
Gauff, world No 7, is proving a hit off the court, too, with Forbes estimating her net worth to be $11.1million last year.
On the court Gauff, who earned a world No 1 ranking in doubles back in August, generated $3.1m, before adding $8m off the court.
Microsoft and New Balance, who signed Gauff up to a lucrative extension last year, are among her off-field commitments, and it is believed her total endorsements could be significantly higher were it not for her parents and agent looking to limit distractions.
Win a Grand Slam in singles, like Emma Raducanu, her next opponent at the Australian Open, and her net worth will rocket.
Coco Gauff, ranked seventh in the world, had a net worth of $11.1million in 2022, Forbes say
Eileen Gu
Age: 19
Sport: Skiing
In 2022, Gu ranked third on Forbes’ yearly rich list for female athletes, just behind Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.
Born and raised in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood, the Chinese ski star is a global superstar away from her studies at Stanford University.
Gu, who also models, counts Red Bull, Therabody and Louis Vuitton, among her roster of endorsements, with her net worth estimated by Forbes to be $20.1m.
The 19-year-old thrived at the Winter Olympics in February, becoming the youngest gold medalist in freestyle skiing, winning the Big Air event, before adding a silver medal in the slopestyle event.
Gu was also named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.
Victor Wembanyama
Age: 19
Sport: Basketball
The undisputed No 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, few prospects have ever had the hype before their arrival like French teenager Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama is widely seen as one of the greatest prospects ever to head for the NBA and his imminent arrival saw NBA commissioner Adam Silver warn the league office would be watching like a hawk if teams deliberately tanked seasons in a bid to get him.
ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed on NBA Countdown back in October that an anonymous team president told him drafting Wembanyama could add up to $500m to the value of a franchise.
Wembanyama, who plays for Metropolitans 92 in France, has been described as a ‘cheat-code’ by Steph Curry and an ‘alien’ by LeBron James.
Expected to become the face of the NBA.
French wonderkid Victor Wembanyama is a consensus No 1 pick for the 2023 NBA draft
Alyssa Thompson
Age: 18
Sport: Soccer
Speaking of top draft picks, 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson is changing the game after being picked up by Angel City.
Thompson, who is of Peruvian descent, made history when she became the first high school student ever to be drafted in National Women’s Soccer League history.
Angel City executives have described Thompson as a ‘generational player’ and she is expected to become a household name across the US in the not-so-distant future.
Thompson’s agents reported to the LA Times that the three-year deal signed by the teen striker is the largest in NWSL history for a player under 25.
Along with her younger sister, Gisele, who is also a player, Thompson made her popularity count off the pitch in May last year, too, when the sisters secured a multi-year deal with Nike.
It was the first time ever that high school athletes landed a a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal.
Thompson has already won two caps for the US Women’s National Team, with her debut at the age of 17 coming in a friendly against England in September at Wembley Stadium.
Alyssa Thompson (right) has been described as a ‘generational player’ by Angel City staffers
Bronny James
Age: 18
Sport: Basketball
LeBron James’ eldest son Bronny is always going to have a weight of expectation on his shoulders when it comes to basketball and getting into the NBA.
LeBron has made no secret of his desire to one day play with his son in the league but Bronny will first need to navigate college, due to NBA rules prohibiting prospects entering the league directly from high school, as LeBron did in 2003.
Given who his dad is there is lots of vested interest in Bronny making it to the big time and brands have been eager to cash in on him.
On3’s NIL 100 list has Bronny at No 1 with a valuation of $7.5m, narrowly ahead of football sensation Arch Manning.
The combo-guard has, according to a report by USA Today, has already received offers from nine college basketball programs.
Bronny James (second from left) is the eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron (left)
Arch Manning
Age: 17
Sport: College football
Talking about kids with expectations on them, try being the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning.
QB Arch Manning, 17, has an On3 NIL rating of $3.6m, putting him second behind Bronny James, and is a No 1 ranked recruit after officially signing with the Texas Longhorns.
‘He’s probably a little ahead of [Eli and Peyton] as a freshman,’ Archie Manning, Arch’s grandad, told the Indy Star in 2019, when asked to compare Arch with his uncles.
At Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, where his father and uncles played, he broke Eli’s school record for passing yards (7,268) and Peyton’s for TDs (93).
Experienced sports business reporter Darren Rovell went on to suggest that Arch could earn as much as $10m in college as a freshman.
Teenage quarterback Arch Manning was a star in high school and is now at college in Texas
He is the nephew of NFL icons Eli (left) and Peyton Manning (right), piling the pressure on him
Juraj Slafkovsky
Age: 18
Sport: Ice hockey
As the youngest active NHL player across the 2022-23 season, eyes are unsurprisingly locked on the progress of Juraj Slafkovsky.
The average age in the NHL is 27 and so Slafkovsky is well ahead of the curve as he carves out the start of his pro career for the Montreal Canadiens.
The Slovakian was picked first overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, before making his NHL debut on Oct. 12, 2022.
His three-year, two-way contract with the Canadiens is valued at $2.78m.
Endorsements will likely follow if he establishes himself as a league-leading star in the NHL but for now he’s thriving at an age that means he can’t even toast his performances with a beer!
Juraj Slafkovsky (left) was the youngest active player in the NHL in the 2022-23 season
Maximo Carrizo
Age: 14
Sport: Soccer
The youngest signing ever in MLS history, Carrizo made his professional debut at the age of 14.
His historic debut came against Inter Miami II for NYCFC II, a pro team that plays in the MLS NEXT Pro, a third-tier league.
There is plenty of expectation for Carrizo to become a star with NYCFC securing him on a contract through to 2027, with an option for the 2028 season.
After signing him, NYCFC sporting director David Lee said: ‘This is a historic moment for both the club and MLS.
‘He’s a special and extremely talented player and it’s been exciting to watch him develop over recent years in our Academy.
‘Maximo is now at the very start of his journey as a professional and the next stages of his development over the coming years will be ensuring he maximizes his potential.’
It’s very early days for his endorsement potential but given Carrizo has already trained with the NYCFC first team, the sky feels the limit for the Manhattan-raised youngster.
Gabriel Slonina
Age: 18
Sport: Soccer
Slonina, known affectionately as ‘Gaga’, penned a six-year deal with English Premier League side Chelsea last summer.
The US has a rich history of producing great goalkeepers with Brad Friedel, Tim Howard and Kasey Keller all ending up thriving in England.
Matt Turner is on the books at Arsenal and teenage star Slonina is the latest in a long line of American goalkeeping successes.
Slonina can actually relate to Carizzo after he became Chicago Fire’s youngest ever signing when he won a professional deal in 2019, aged just 14.
He also became the youngest goalkeeper ever to start an MLS match, making his Fire debut aged 17 years and 81 days.
Slonina is yet to get a shot in Chelsea’s first team but co-owner Todd Boehly will be well aware of the gem the Blues have on their hand, with the goalkeeper expected to spend the rest of the 2022-23 season with their Under-21 team.
Gabriel Slonina, 18, joined English Premier League side Chelsea for $15m during the summer
