#14 Danny Leyva – 2025 Overall Rating: 5.85 in 26 appearances
Community Rating: 5.89
MLS Regular Season: 5.88 in 16 appearances
MLS Playoffs: 5.50 in 2 appearances
Concacaf Champions Cup 6.00 in 2 appearances
Club World Cup 5.00 in 1 appearance
Leagues Cup: 6.00 in 5 appearances
MOTM = 1 | High = 9 | Low = 5
2025 was Danny Leyva’s seventh year with the Sounders, yet he’s only 22. He’s still on a development curve, but when the year started, he lagged behind other midfielders vying for minutes, so he had to step up and impress. That proved to be an uphill battle on a deep Sounders team. Possessing excellent vision, passing and work ethic, the defensive side of his game needed work. Danny had an opportunity to build off his strong 2024 efforts, to improve his game, and to fight for minutes, and he did just that.
How it started: Seattle traded away solid young midfielder Josh Atencio, potentially opening up more opportunities for someone like Leyva. He started 2025 as a backup, but by pushing the players at multiple positions in front of him, he showed he could give veterans like Albert Rusnák and Cristian Roldan a break. Leyva was often a key late substitute whose ability to add value every time he entered showed in his positive ratings. In particular, his service from dead balls was consistently good.
How it ended: Ascending throughout the season, Danny kept moving his ceiling higher. He earned a MOTM against Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup as he started in place of Roldan and played his part well. Any issues with defending were forgotten as Leyva used his increased physicality to dominate the middle. He paired this with fantastic movement and dynamic passing, resulting in three key passes and an assist. This two-way ability earned him more time throughout the year. His inspired play broke out in a big way with a 9 rated performance a few weeks later. Playing up a line as an attacking midfielder, Leyva was awesome. He was directly responsible for four goals, and did it via the run of play, set pieces, winning duels, combination play and beautiful attacking movement that befuddled Sporting Kansas City. I wrote this: “Leyva was awesome, and in any other match is an easy MOTM. His ability to move off the ball and spray it around when in possession to find people in great spots meant Reed was wide open to find Moose for his assist. It meant that Danny’s service to Moose from a corner was perfect. It meant when he controlled it in the box in the 73rd, he won a penalty.”
Where do we go from here? Leyva started to put it all together in 2025, improving in all aspects and becoming a complete player. His rating range showed a high floor and massive ceiling, and Danny’s performances highlighted that upper range. His ability to step in and be effective in attacking areas was transformative, and he showcased some of the best set piece delivery on the team. These accolades didn’t go unnoticed, and when Club Necaxa from Liga MX came knocking with a chance to go south, Seattle and Leyva took it. This is a good move for him and his development, and another validation of a vibrant and fruitful Sounders academy. It’s bittersweet, however, as Danny has been part of the team for a long time, was part of the 2025 success, and his skill set won’t be easily replaced. Good luck to Danny in his upcoming Liga MX career!
#13 Stefan Frei – 2025 Overall Rating: 5.91 in 35 appearances
Community Rating: 6.32
MLS Regular Season: 6.08 in 26 appearances
MLS Playoffs: 5.00 in 3 appearances
Concacaf Champions Cup 5.67 in 3 appearances
Club World Cup 5.67 in 3 appearances
MOTM = 1 | High = 8 | Low = 4
Coming into 2025, Stefan Frei had been slowly dropping in the end of year rankings. He is still a solid goalkeeper whose skills lie in communication, leadership and stellar positioning rather than outright lateral athleticism. After decades between the sticks, he has increasingly been pushed by backup goalie Andrew Thomas. In 2025, there were plenty of games on the schedule to share keeper duties, but it was clear that Stefan had faded somewhat from his GKOY (robbed) days.
How it started: With Thomas adding crucial depth, Frei was able to rest as early as the third game of the year, a Concacaf Champions Cup match against Antigua. He continued to get periodic rest as Seattle navigated a stretch of 10 games in a little over a month. His play was solid but unspectacular, and he relied on positioning and defense in the back as they started the season with three wins, two draws, and a loss. A 3-nil drubbing by the newly formed San Diego FC was a lowpoint for Frei, who wasn’t solely to blame, but who consistently looked slow and hesitant. Absent were the big saves and moments that Stefan had shown in every season up to that point. In May, there was a vintage match where Stef won his only MOTM award of the season, in the revenge game against San Diego. My comments: “Stefan Frei was not going to let goalkeeping be the reason Seattle conceded on Wednesday night. He made seven saves, with multiple highlight reel and goal-saving efforts. This was one of his most impressive outings this season, coordinating a makeshift backline and leading by example with clean, impenetrable defense. He was outstanding.”
How it ended: Frei was involved in a terrible collision in extra time against Columbus in July, and it looked potentially career ending. Seeing a club legend leave the stadium in an ambulance was awful, and we were relieved to hear he was okay. This was a huge setback to Frei, but he returned to play in August. Playing sparingly for a few weeks, soon Seattle (and Frei) were back in their winning ways, and Stef was the starter to finish out the season and get the team to playoffs. This included three shutouts in a four-game stretch in October. With a defense still susceptible to counter attacks and set pieces, Frei bears some responsibility for the struggles that ultimately led to their ouster from the playoffs. Recognizing his ineffectiveness on spot kicks, Stef was subbed prior to penalties in Seattle’s final game.
Where do we go from here? With 370 rated appearances over 11 seasons, Frei has been a Sounders mainstay since 2015. With the emergence of Thomas and Stef’s injury, it was possible that Frei would be done after 2025. However, he just signed a new contract that allows Seattle a lot of depth on the goalkeeping core. That will provide competition for the starting goalkeeper role, and competition will make the Sounders better. There will be plenty of games for Frei to impact Seattle’s success in 2026.
#12 Jordan Morris – 2025 Overall Rating: 5.92 in 25 appearances
Community Rating: 6.02
MLS Regular Season: 5.71 in 17 appearances
MLS Playoffs: 7.00 in 3 appearances
Concacaf Champions Cup 6.00 in 4 appearances
Club World Cup 6.00 in 1 appearance
MOTM = 3 | High = 8 | Low = 5
Jordan Morris had a breakout year in 2024, including hitting accelerators in his contract that made him a Designated Player. So naturally, he was expected to carry the scoring load in 2025. Nearing the team goal record, this homegrown talent entered his ninth Sounders season with high anticipation, especially after earning the highest overall rating on the squad last year. When healthy, Jordan has consistently been a driving offensive force for the Sounders, but again in 2025, he ran into some unfortunate bad luck, which minimized his time on the field.
How it started: The incumbent starter, Morris was excellent in the first seven matches of the season, spanning MLS and CCC matches, earning a 7 average rating, including MOTM performances in two league matches where he garnered 8s. In the first MLS game, Charlotte FC had no answer for Morris’s combination of physical skills. Especially impactful during a beatdown of LAFC a few matches later, Morris created and scored, and that goal made him the all-time leader in Sounders goals. Unfortunately, the wear and tear of the travel and massive minutes took its toll, with Jordan coming up lame against Cruz Azul in Mexico among a number of devastating team injuries. He managed to return five matches later, only to get reinjured in his second match back. In June, he returned to action in the Club World Cup, and he looked solid until a freak accident caused by a poor goalkeeping play in the San Jose game in July separated Jordan’s shoulder and sent him to the injury list yet again.
How it ended: Brought back into the lineup after his shoulder healed, Morris was slow to integrate into the movement and personnel around him. As he ramped up his fitness and minutes, his scores improved, and Jordan was back to being a force on offense. He ended the season with four straight 7 ratings, including MOTM against Minnesota as Seattle tied, but lost. He created a DOGSO that was overturned, and he created chances when moved to a wide facilitator role, but teammates were unable to finish. He failed to make his penalty in one of the PK shootouts.
Where do we go from here? Dropping from 44 to 25 appearances and from #1 on the 2024 list to #12 now, this year was disappointing for Morris. Heading into 2026, he’ll have a lot to prove, especially with the offense doing fine while he was missing. Starting off great in 2025 and remaining effective every time he was on the field, the key for Jordan will be staying healthy enough to turn his early-2025 scoring rate into consistent season-long output. He still has extraordinary speed and underrated tactical movement, so Morris should slot back into the striker role and reap the benefits of an offensive group that put up record numbers of Sounders scoring chances this year.
#11 Paul Arriola – 2025 Overall Rating: 6.00 in 6 appearances
Community Rating: 6.03
MLS Regular Season: 5.50 in 2 appearances
Concacaf Champions Cup 6.25 in 4 appearances
MOTM = 1 | High = 8 | Low = 5
When Paul Arriola arrived in 2025, we didn’t know what to expect. Once a national team talent and Designated Player in MLS, he was coming off an underwhelming stint with FC Dallas. He clearly had skills that indicated he could slot in as a winger or wingback for Seattle, and his ability to play on the left meant shoring up that side of the field. A lot of potential without lofty expectations meant Arriola looked like an under-the-radar signing that could massively pay off for Seattle. Instead, he had only six appearances.
How it started: Paul entered the season showing everything you want from a league veteran: skills, work ethic, and a strong bond with multiple players. He started to ingratiate himself to teammates and fans alike, and seemed a natural to be part of the Sounders’ winning culture. He exceeded expectations by having a MOTM performance in his first Seattle appearance, scoring just three minutes into his Sounders career. “Arriola was fantastic as the attacking wingback, who impressed in nearly all facets of play. Especially intriguing was his passing, including a gorgeous 39th minute ball and another in the 47th that found teammates in prime attacking positions. Surrounding this impressive play was a tenacity that resulted in numerous fouls won in dangerous areas as the Guatemalan side wasn’t prepared for Paul’s tenaciousness on and off the ball.” This was a fantastic beginning to the year. His role on the team looked to be defined, and he had the tactical IQ to join the attack in effective ways while offering a defensive aggressiveness that immediately branded this new guy a success.
How it ended: After this brilliant beginning, Paul cooled off a bit, putting in solid but unspectacular performances. Just five appearances later, Paul’s season was over. Facing Cruz Azul in Mexico during a competitive match, Arriola took a wrong step in first half injury time and suffered a brutal knee injury. Just like that, he was done for the year with a torn ACL. His injury was a big blow to the Sounders, who had planned on consistent production from this player.
Where do we go from here? Rumor has it Seattle is expecting Paul Arriola back and ready to go in 2026, and they went so far as to release and openly shop players that might have replaced his role on the team. This is good news for him, but with such a small sample size of games played, it’s hard to know what to expect this year. He will probably help hold down the left winger spot until Pedro de la Vega returns from his own injury, but there is plenty of competition for wide attacking roles in Seattle. This competition is good for the team, and every indication is that Arriola is working hard to make the job his for the immediate future.
