Gavin McKenna absolutely owned the 2026 Top 25 Under 25 vote, locking down the number one spot with a perfect 1.00 weighted average. The kid was the undisputed king, scoring a #1 vote from every single voter. That’s not just good, that’s flawless, and it speaks volumes about what the community and official voters see in his game.
The Unquestioned Top Tier and Astonishing Unity
While McKenna was running away with the top spot, Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan weren’t far behind, securing the second and third ranks, respectively. Knies, last year’s #1, still pulled in a 2.27 weighted average, showing he’s still highly regarded. Cowan jumped up from his 2025 #2 spot to land at #3 this year. Ben Danford held firm at #4, just like last year. What’s wild is the astonishing vote similarity between number one and number two on the Community side. Both the fan voters and the official voters were locked in on McKenna and Knies for the top two, which tells you there’s a serious consensus on these guys being the real deal at the very top of the list.
Where the Votes Diverged: Community vs. Official Battles
It wasn’t all harmony, though. While the top spots were pretty consistent, things got a lot more interesting when you dipped further down the rankings. The differences between the community vote and the official vote were notable. Artur Akhtyamov, for instance, snagged #8 in the official vote but soared to #5 with the community. William Villeneuve landed at #17 officially, but the community had him way up at #10. Even Ryan Tverberg saw a huge leap, sitting at #24 officially but getting a #13 nod from the community. There was a big step between ranks seven and eight in the Community Vote that got duplicated in the official vote between 16 and 17, making that middle section look totally different depending on who you asked. It just goes to show you how much discussion and debate went into these rankings.
This is the last T25 post until next year, and you know we’ll be watching these prospects closely. It’s always a debate, always a wild ride seeing who emerges, and who the fans are buzzing about. Can anyone challenge McKenna next year? We’ll find out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pension Plan Puppets.
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