The 10 Biggest Storylines in Sports for January
1. Ichiro Suzuki and C.C. Sabathia Headline Baseball Hall of Fame Class – Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and C.C. Sabathia, a six-time All-Star and World Series champion, were inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class.
2. Manchester City and PSG Stay Alive in New Champions League Format – Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, both considered powerhouses in the soccer world, faced elimination in the Champions League but managed to secure spots in the knockout stages with victories on the final matchday.
3. Freshman Phenoms Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey Dominate – The three freshmen, Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey, have surpassed expectations and are now considered top prospects for the 2025 NBA draft, with Flagg and Bailey scoring 25.4 and 24.3 points per game, respectively, in January.
4. Miami Lands Carson Beck, Who Will Receive $4 Million in Transfer Portal – Carson Beck, a former Georgia quarterback, announced he would return to school for a sixth season, committing to play for Miami and receiving a reported $4 million in the transfer portal.
5. Jimmy Butler Wants Out of Miami – Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has reportedly expressed a desire to leave the team, with the front office and Butler’s agents negotiating a potential trade.
6. Saquon Barkley Leads the Eagles to Super Bowl – Running back Saquon Barkley, acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason, has been a key player in their NFC Championship run, leading the team to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2017.
7. Roki Sasaki Signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers – Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, who has a 100 mph fastball, will join the Los Angeles Dodgers, the fourth-ranked team in the league, in 2025, filling a void left by injured starter Walker Buehler.
8. Ohio State Wins First 12-Team CFP – Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, claiming the first-ever 12-team CFP title and marking the program’s first national championship since the 2014 season.
9. Jayden Daniels’ Historic Playoff Run – Quarterback Jayden Daniels, a rookie, led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship game, breaking several records, including the most passing yards and touchdowns in a playoff run by a rookie quarterback.
10. Chiefs Meet Eagles in Super Bowl Rematch – The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, a rematch of their 2017 meeting, with the Chiefs aiming to become the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row, while the Eagles seek their first title since 2017.
