MLS Rookie of the Year Award
In the United States, Major League Soccer (MLS) has handed out a Rookie of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. MLS, as opposed to other American sports leagues like Major League Baseball, only designates a player as a rookie if the player has had no prior professional experience. So, for example, although Taylor Twellman finished second in MVP voting in 2002, he was ineligible for the Rookie of the Year Award because he had played on the reserve team of 1860 Munich.
Winners
| Season |
Player |
Position |
Team |
Draft
Pick |
Draft Class |
College |
| 1996 |
 Ralston, SteveSteve Ralston |
Midfielder |
Tampa Bay Mutiny |
18 !18 |
1996 MLS College Draft |
Florida International |
| 1997 |
Duhaney, MikeMike Duhaney |
Defender |
Tampa Bay Mutiny |
87 !87 |
1996 MLS Inaugural Draft |
UNLV |
| 1998 |
Olsen, BenBen Olsen |
Midfielder |
D.C. United |
!N/A |
Project-40 |
Virginia |
| 1999 |
Heaps, JayJay Heaps |
Defender |
Miami Fusion |
2 !2 |
1999 MLS College Draft |
Duke |
| 2000 |
Bocanegra, CarlosCarlos Bocanegra |
Defender |
Chicago Fire |
4 !4 |
2000 MLS SuperDraft |
UCLA |
| 2001 |
 Faria, RodrigoRodrigo Faria |
Forward |
MetroStars |
13 !13 |
2001 MLS SuperDraft |
Concordia College |
| 2002 |
Martino, KyleKyle Martino |
Midfielder |
Columbus Crew |
8 !8 |
2002 MLS SuperDraft |
Virginia |
| 2003 |
 Ralph, DamaniDamani Ralph |
Forward |
Chicago Fire |
18 !18 |
2003 MLS SuperDraft |
Connecticut |
| 2004 |
Dempsey, ClintClint Dempsey |
Midfielder |
New England Revolution |
8 !8 |
2004 MLS SuperDraft |
Furman |
| 2005 |
Parkhurst, MichaelMichael Parkhurst |
Defender |
New England Revolution |
9 !9 |
2005 MLS SuperDraft |
Wake Forest |
| 2006 |
Bornstein, JonathanJonathan Bornstein |
Defender |
Chivas USA |
37 !37 |
2006 MLS SuperDraft |
UCLA |
| 2007 |
Edu, MauriceMaurice Edu |
Midfielder |
Toronto FC |
1 !1 |
2007 MLS SuperDraft |
Maryland |
| 2008 |
Franklin, SeanSean Franklin |
Defender |
LA Galaxy |
4 !4 |
2008 MLS SuperDraft |
Cal State Northridge |
| 2009 |
Gonzalez, OmarOmar Gonzalez |
Defender |
LA Galaxy |
3 !3 |
2009 MLS SuperDraft |
Maryland |
| 2010 |
 Najar, AndyAndy Najar |
Midfielder |
D.C. United |
N/A |
Homegrown Player |
N/A |
| 2011 |
Sapong, C. J.C. J. Sapong |
Forward |
Sporting Kansas City |
!10 |
2011 MLS SuperDraft |
James Madison |
| 2012 |
Berry, AustinAustin Berry |
Defender |
Chicago Fire |
!9 |
2012 MLS SuperDraft |
Louisville |
| 2013 |
Powers, DillonDillon Powers |
Midfielder |
Colorado Rapids |
!11 |
2013 MLS SuperDraft |
Notre Dame |
| 2014 |
 Akindele, TeshoTesho Akindele |
Forward |
FC Dallas |
!6 |
2014 MLS SuperDraft |
Colorado School of Mines |
| 2015 |
Larin, CyleCyle Larin |
Forward |
Orlando City SC |
!1 |
2015 MLS SuperDraft |
Connecticut |
| 2016 |
Morris, JordanJordan Morris |
Forward |
Seattle Sounders FC |
!N/A |
Homegrown Player |
Stanford |
|
Wins by playing position
| Position | Number of
winners |
| Defender | 8 |
| Midfielder | 7 |
| Forward | 6 |
| Goalkeeper | 0 |
Wins by nationality
| Nationality | Number of
winners |
| United States | 16 |
| Canada | 2 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Honduras | 1 |
| Jamaica | 1 |
Wins by team
| Team | Number of
winners |
| Chicago Fire | 3 |
| D.C. United | 2 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 2 |
| New England Revolution | 2 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | 2 |
| Chivas USA | 1 |
| Colorado Rapids | 1 |
| Columbus Crew | 1 |
| FC Dallas | 1 |
| MetroStars | 1 |
| Miami Fusion | 1 |
| Orlando City SC | 1 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 1 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 1 |
| Toronto FC | 1 |