Every MLS team's best Breakout Player candidate for 2026

First off, sorry about the lack of a newsletter last week. It was busy on a personal level, and then very bad on a “man, I’m concerned about the welfare of our democracy overall and the welfare of the people of Minnesota in particular” level.1 I’m not exactly sure where to put my feelings of anger, despair and powerlessness, so I just took a day.

But I was still able to write a couple of columns last week for the mothership. Here’s the links:

• Ceiling-raisers: 9 most pivotal players of the 2026 MLS season
• Breakout player candidates: Who could emerge in 2026?

I angled the “Ceiling-raisers” piece towards the teams that I think have actual championship equity this year – ones that could, conceivably, hoist some kind of trophy (and stand a better chance to do so if the ceiling raisers do their thing). You are welcome to infer that, if your team doesn’t have a player in that list of nine, then I think they’ve got no real chance of winning anything2 in 2026. In fact you’d be correct to do so.

Meanwhile there are only eight players on the “Breakout” list. Usually I go one per team, but this time I wanted to keep it to the eight most likely, on a league-wide level. We’re trying to streamline things a bit.

HOWEVER, I’m not trying to streamline things here, as this newsletter is for the sickos. That means there’s fans of 22 other teams who want to know their best hope for a breakout performer, a la Seb Berhalter with Vancouver or Owen Wolff with Austin last year.

Real quick, here’s the eight from the column (please do click through for explanations & analysis):

• Ted Ku-DiPietro (Colorado)

• Taha Habroune (Columbus)

• Michael Collodi (Dallas)

• Justin Haak (LA Galaxy)

• Brooklyn Raines (New England)

• Ronald Donkor (RBNY)

• Oscar Verhoeven (San Diego)

• Rayan Elloumi3 (Vancouver)

And now here, in alphabetical order by team, is the rest of the league:

• Atlanta United: Ajani Fortune, CM

He was on the verge of breaking out last year before his injury. As of now he’s a starter – though that’s likely to change – for a team that really should be much improved. Even if he doesn’t start, though, he’ll play a bunch of minutes and get some dap outside of his cult following.

Confidence Level: Medium. Lot of variables here.

• Austin FC: Nicolas Dubersarsky, DM

This is wishcasting on my part. They just really need someone – well, specifically they need Dubersarsky – to take minutes from 35-year-old Ilie Sanchez.

Confidence Level: Pretty low. Though if gets more timewith the first XI during preseason, that’ll change.

• Charlotte FC: Archie Goodwin, FW

Goodwin was brought in mid-season on a U-22 deal, and if Idan Toklomati hits a dry patch – which is inevitable for any striker, but we’ll see what kind of patience Dean Smith has – Goodwin, who is combative in a way that English coaches tend to love, will get his opportunity.

Confidence Level: Very high that he’ll get his chance. Keeping some healthy skepticism about him taking it, as the hit-rate on U-22 attackers isn’t great (though Charlotte have arguably done better with U-22s4 than DPs).

• Chicago Fire: Omari Glasgow, RWB

Gregg Berhalter’s been tinkering around with Glasgow as a super-attacking wingback in a 3-4-2-1. I like it.

Confidence Level: Low. I think it’ll primarily be a back 4 with a more traditional RB.

• FC Cincinnati: Samuel Gidi, DM

Basically made the starting job his own down the stretch, and has the tools to play either as the 6 or the 8. If things go right I could see him getting Best XI buzz.5

Confidence Level: High-ish. I think he’ll be good, but Cincy… my money says they’re going to disappoint.

• D.C. United: Jackson Hopkins, CM

Hopkins was kind of position-less throughout his youth career, but seemed to find a home last season as an all-action, box-arriving No. 8. The faintest of silver linings.

Confidence Level: Low. Box-arriving 8s need to arrive at the right spot at the right time to finish the chances that teammates make. And who, exactly, is going to be doing that for D.C.?

• Houston Dynamo: Blake Gillingham, GK

I’m sure Dynamo folks are sick of me picking on Jonathan Bond, but he was so, so bad last year. Gillingham should get a fair shot at winning and keeping the No. 1 kit.

Confidence Level: Low. Houston adore their veterans.

• Sporting KC: Stephen Afrifa, W

I just love the way he attacks space behind the opposing backline. Players like that don’t need the ball to be effective; they raise the level of the team around them anyway.

Confidence Level: Medium. They kept Afrifa for a reason, and he balances the rest of the attack, one that is composed entirely of ball-to-feet guys.

• LAFC: Nathan Ordaz, F/W

Ordaz kind of broke out last year with 8g/5a in about 1900 minutes, which is a very respectable return for a rotational attacking option. He’s got more competition this time around, but I bet he’s the one who comes out on top and secures a starting spot.

Confidence Level: Medium-high.

• Inter Miami: Dániel Pintér, W/F

18-year-old academy kid played all over the front line in Next Pro and was a menace. Miami will play 55+ games again, need depth and have never hesitated to use their academy pipeline.

Confidence Level: Low. If he gets 500 minutes I’ll be surprised.

• Minnesota United: Peter Stroud, DM

Just think there was more to him than he ever got to show with the Red Bulls. I’m feeling like it’s a non-zero chance he outright wins a starting job.

Confidence Level: Medium.

• Montreal Impact: Hennadii Synchuk, RW

Synchuk was not particularly effective – just 1g in 800 minutes – in his first MLS season, but you could see the 19-year-old’s talent, and he’s slated to start. Good enough for me.

Confidence Level: Medium-high. He’s going to get his chances. (I’m just not certain he’s a good soccer player.)

• Nashville SC: Brian Schwake, GK

He was the starter during Nashville’s victorious Open Cup run, and I think he’s going to be the full-time starter this year. Passes the eye test and the underlying numbers (small sample size alert) are good.

Confidence Level: High.

• NYCFC: Jonny Shore, CM

As of now we don’t know what lineups the Pigeons are using6 in preseason, so I’m going to wishcast him into the XI.

Confidence Level: Low. Most likely he’ll be a sub who doesn’t play a lot of high-leverage, big-game minutes. Will be fun to watch with the US U-20s though.

• Orlando City: Duncan McGuire, FW

McGuire hasn’t been the same since the Blackburn Rovers move fell through. But for the first time he’s going into a season as the starting No. 9, and I like the talent and fit around him.

Confidence Level: Medium. I think he’ll score, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if Orlando decided, midseason, that they could find an upgrade.

• Philadelphia Union: Cavan Sullivan, RW/AM

As a 16-year-old he looked like one of the best attackers at the tournament in the U-17 World Cup, and was one of the very best attackers on a per-90 basis in Next Pro. Wasn’t effective in his MLS minutes, but he’s still on a good, linear (rather than exponential) trajectory. I think “difference-making sub” is in the cards for 2026.

Confidence Level: High. The game will slow down for him this year. Just wish he was on a team that played soccer.

• Portland Timbers: Gage Guerra, FW

Dominant at the Next Pro level, and it translated to the first team with 2g/1a in about 275 minutes across all competitions (including one very memorable playoff goal). With Felipe Mora being old and Kevin Kelsy being, uh, not good… I don’t know. Feels like there’s a path here.

Confidence Level: Honestly, kind of high! I’m worried about the Timbers overall, but Guerra knows where the goal is and Phil Neville seems to realize that.

• Real Salt Lake: Dominik Marczuk, RWB

If they go with the 3-4-2-1 they’ve reportedly been using in preseason, I’d say Marczuk is a pretty natural fit as an attacking wingback. We even saw DeAndre Yedlin (who I’ve got slated as the starting right wingback for now) play some center back already, and I feel like that’s a tell.

Confidence Level: Medium-high. Marczuk’s gonna get looks at RWB, and maybe even inverted as a super-attaking LWB? I’m kind of into that.

• San Jose Earthquakes: Max Floriani, CB

Floriani had his struggles as a rookie, but looked the part physically and has on-ball juice that says the upside is high. Plus Bruce Arena’s got an excellent track record developing young, domestic CBs.

Confidence Level: Pretty high. The Quakes are better than they looked last year.

• Seattle Sounders: Nikola Petkovic, DM

I have no idea why Petkovic never really got a shot with the Charlotte first team, but I feel pretty comfortable betting on Seattle’s track record of player development here.

Confidence Level: Pretty high.

• St. Louis City: Mykhi Joyner, LW

I’m just gonna keep trying to speak it into existence.

Confidence Level: Low. Sadly.

• Toronto FC: Alonso Coello, DM

“Alonso Coello is good, actually” is a long-held7 position of mine. He shields the backline and moves the ball pretty well, and I think he’s going to get a chance to start, full-time, in front of a functional backline.

Confidence Level: Medium-high.