AFTER THE RECENT weekend, most MLS teams have now played 10 games in the 2025 season, and we are able to get a clearer picture of where things stand in terms of which young players are making breakthroughs. The good news is that this season looks more promising than 2024

As always, where do you define youth? Diego Luna and Sebastian Berhalter are breaking out right now and both were eligible for the last Olympic team but probably fall outside the scope of youth. On the other hand, limiting it to just players eligible for the U-20 World Cup doesn’t encompass the full picture of youth development in the league. With that said, we will keep it at 2004-born and younger.

Here have been the top performers both this past weekend and over the first 10 games of the season.

Alex Freeman: the Orlando City right back has athleticism in his blood as the son of former Green Bay Packer great Antonio Freeman. But the younger Freeman also has a lot of skill and his goal over the weekend now gives him three goals and one assist on the season. His combination of athleticism, strength, and attacking ability is a good combination for the modern demands of the position. At 20 years old (but four months too old for the U-20 World Cup), he is a high upside prospect and it will be very interesting to see how he continues to develop in Orlando.

Quinn Sullivan: Along with Freeman, Sullivan is one of the top 2004-born players. The Philadelphia Union attacker consistently is part of goal contributions. Last season, he had 5 goals and 8 assists in MLS (7 goals and 10 assists) in all competitions. This season he has 1 goal and 5 assists with his latest assist coming over the weekend in the Union’s 3-0 win over DC United.

Benja Cremaschi: The Inter Miami midfielder has been a top U.S. youth international for several years. Having already appeared for the USMNT and the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, he will likely be part of the 2025 U.S. U-20 team and possibly the 2028 Olympics as well. Minutes are hard to come by on a star-studded Miami team but Cremaschi continues to be part of goal contributions. Over this past weekend he picked up an assist in a 4-3 loss to FC Dallas and the weekend before he scored the winner in a solid 1-0 away win over Columbus.

Peyton Miller: The New England Revolution left back is maybe the most promising 2007-born players in the league right now and he is eligible for this year’s U-20 World Cup as well as the following cycle. He had an injury at the start of the season but he’s been very good since his return and the Revolution have improved dramatically since he’s been back on the field. The team’s record is 4 wins, 1 loss with Miller in the lineup. Miller went 74 minutes over the weekend in an impressive 1-0 away win over Charlotte.

Brooklyn Raines: It was a slow start to the season for Raines as he struggled for minutes as Houston Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen was tinkering with the midfield after the arrival of Jack McGlynn just before the start of the season. But Olsen now has a role carved out for Raines with McGlynn in the midfield and the Dynamo looks better for it. Raines has been one of the best U.S. U-20 players this cycle and lately he has been showing a high level of skill. The Dynamo have yet to lose since Raines has returned to the starting XI and his full 90 effort in the 2-0 win over Austin this past weekend was his best performance of the season. Raines was highly effective in possession and dictated the flow of the game all while boosting the team’s offense.

Owen Wolff: Austin FC are improved this season after last year’s failure to make the playoffs. In previous seasons while coached by his father, Owen Wolff was inconsistent but now under Nico Estevez, Wolff is having a bigger impact on games. He has 3 assists on the year and is a regular starter having started all 10 of Austin’s games – playing well in most. His improvement as been Austin FC’s improvement and the club sits third place heading into May. Wolff is two days too old for the current U.S. U-20 team, where he would likely be a starter.

Frankie Westfield: The Philadelphia Union right back has been one of the most pleasant breakout players among the U-20 player pool. He’s been a regular starter for the Union and he has been a positive contributor to the team’s early season success. He’s done so well that he’s might have played his way into a starting job at the 2025 U-20 World Cup. On Saturday, he notched his second assist of the season in a 3-0 win over DC United.

Johnny Shore: The New York City FC homegrown has made nine appearances and six starts in defensive midfield and while not every performance has been good, most have been – including this past weekend in a 1-0 win over Toronto. Despite being a young 2007-born player, Shore has been especially comfortable with the physical side of the game in winning duels and tackles. Last season he was an MLS Next Pro all-star and he has made a big step forward in 2025. Don’t be surprised if he makes a late push to be on the U.S. U-20 World Cup team.

Tate Johnson: One of the more pleasant surprises of the season with young American players in MLS has been Tate Johnson who is months removed from playing NCAA soccer with the University of North Carolina to now starting Champions Cup games away against Monterrey and Pumas (where Vancouver prevailed) and against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami team. He is part of a Vancouver team that has been the talk of the league and CONCACAF the past three months as they are also in first place in addition to the semifinals of the Champions Cup. It will be interesting if he gets a U.S. U-20 call-up in June to make a late push for the World Cup squad.

Other young player notes

The most important thing for young players is that they play and many players have been getting on the field – even if their performances have been mixed.

Noah Cobb is on the bubble for the U.S. U-20 team and has made six appearances for Atlanta United. His performances have been uneven (and he wasn’t good over the weekend in the loss to Orlando), but that is hardly any different from the rest of Atlanta United who are having a terrible start to the 2025 season. It’s tough to evaluate a young player on a team that is in such a bad place, but Cobb is worth keeping an eye on as the U-20 World Cup nears.  

Nolan Norris was the U.S. U-20 captain last year for World Cup qualifying and he is taking on a bigger role at FC Dallas where he has started five games at left back, where he has been settling down despite playing several positions. He struggled over the weekend in the 4-3 win over Miami (he was subbed out in the 58^th minute before Dallas made a comeback).

It has been a tough start to the season for Sporting KC which has just seven points from 10 games and is playing under an interim manager. Defender Jacob Bartlett has made seven starts for Sporting to mixed results. He was pretty good in a 2-1 away loss to Cincinnati on Saturday and needs a big run of games to get a June call-up for the U.S. U-20 team to make a case to be part of the World Cup plans.

Zavier Gozo made his first start of the season over the weekend for Real Salt Lake in a 3-1 win over San Diego on Saturday. The 2007-born attacker is rated by U.S. Soccer and he has had multiple call-ups to the U-20 team despite playing up a cycle. He’s still raw, but there is an upside. He just needs minutes – which will likely come off the bench the rest of this season.

There are a few U.S. U-20 players who will likely go to the World Cup but who need to be doing better jobs fighting for minutes. Atlanta United winger Luke Brennan has been fantastic for the U.S. U-20 team in every camp he’s played, but still is not playing for his club. Niko Tsakiris is now part of his second U-20 team, but has been slow to come along under Bruce Arena – although is doing better recently. Reed Baker-Whiting is barely hanging onto his U-20 World Cup roster spot after the emergence of Westfield in Philadelphia. He been battling injuries as well, but now 20, he probably feels pressure to play more.