Welcome to the 2025 Ratings Recap. Battling on four fronts, the Seattle Sounders added another trophy to the cabinet, and tested themselves against the world’s best, but ended their campaign sooner than they would have liked, exiting the MLS Playoffs at the hands of Minnesota United (despite a win and two draws in the series).
Despite three losses in the group stage of the Club World Cup, facing competition of the highest caliber seemed to kickstart the Sounders’ season, as they went on to only drop a single match in their next 16, which included a 3-0 win in the Leagues Cup Final over star-studded Inter Miami.
Yet again, injuries played a role in the story of the season. Both starting center backs missed significant time, as did Jordan Morris on multiple occasions. Pedro de la Vega, who improved throughout the year, was sidelined when Seattle needed him most, against the bunkered Loons. And one can’t help but wonder at the tactical flexibility Paul Arriola might have brought to the team over the course of a full campaign. Still, fresh faces stepped up, and the team and its fans will be optimistic heading into 2026.
Throughout 2025, each player was rated for every match after a rewatch. This series of articles is a recap of players ranked in reverse order, using data from all games in MLS play, Concacaf Champions Cup, Club World Cup, and MLS Playoffs, while including a cumulative average of all Sounders appearances this year. As we enter “silly season” with its rumors and trades and signings, please enjoy this recap of the year that was from the perspective of your faithful ratings team.
Also, please feel free to find me in Discord if you want more in-depth data on these players, as I have game-by-game breakdowns, historical data on some players for twelve-plus years, and tons of other info if you have specific questions.
As always, a few things to keep in mind when looking at these recaps:
- Ratings aren’t the only way to judge a player, and these should not be considered “official.” It’s merely how these players came out in my ratings for the season. While higher ranking players are likely better performers, using ratings to say “X player is better than Y” is not the full picture. There are tons of variables that go into ranking different players, so please take them with the requisite grain (or grains) of salt and understand I am attempting to rate against an “MLS average” scale which is continuously evolving.
- Sample size matters. A lot. Two late-game appearances where a player didn’t look completely out of touch may get him a cumulative 6 rating, but another guy who played 20 games and got a 5.9 may be a better player and more valuable to the team. Please consider how much some guys played and realize how sample size can skew both directions. It’s also important to note that subs tend to start lower on the scale, and some players who played well but only as subs may be ranked lower than you might expect, and vice versa.
#28 (tie) Antino Lopez – 2025 Overall Rating: 5.00 in 1 appearance
Community Rating – 5.15
MLS Regular Season: 5.00 in 1 appearance
Seemingly with the Sounders for years, Lopez is solidly into his 20’s now. He plays center back, however, a position notorious for late bloomers. Antino’s one 2025 appearance was less than his two in 2024, but he was once again chosen as a hardship signing late in the season. He played decently in his lone moments for the first team.
How it started: While a younger and higher profile center back teammate was getting more first team options, Lopez struggled through some injury issues before getting healthy enough to return to the Defiance lineup in June, and he ended with 15 Tacoma appearances.
How it ended: When Seattle needed some extra depth in the back, they turned to Lopez against RSL late in the year. He made it off the bench, but was merely a last-minute time-wasting sub, only seeing the field for a short time.
Where do we go from here? Lopez is getting older and there is substantial center back depth on the first team, including young Stuart Hawkins. Antino has limited time to show that he can be more than a solid MLS Next Pro player.
#28 (tie) Peter Kingston – 2025 Overall Rating: 5.00 in 1 appearance
Community Rating – 5.27
MLS Regular Season: 5.00 in 1 appearance
At 24 years old, Peter Kingston came through the academy to UW and was solid enough at Tacoma Defiance to earn a hardship callup when Seattle played RSL late in the season, joining Lopez.
How it started: With 10 minutes to go, Coach Schmetzer called on Kingston to spell Pedro de la Vega as the team clung to a 1-0 lead. Peter did what he needed to do to help Seattle hold onto the shutout and a win.
How it ended: This was his only showing for the first team, but he finished with a stellar 35 appearances for Defiance, earning a respectable 3g/6a statline.
Where do we go from here? Although older players like Peter occasionally take a giant leap forward, so far he’s a solid midfielder who has only earned one brief appearance. Remaining on the outside barring a jump in performance, his ability to play many midfield positions keeps him on the radar.
#27 Jonathan Bell – 2025 Overall Rating: 5.12 in 25 appearances
Community Rating – 5.58
MLS Regular Season: 5.05 in 21 appearances
CONCACAF Champions Cup: 5.00 in 1 appearance
Club World Cup: 5.67 in 3 appearances
High = 7 | Low = 3
Coming into the offseason, Jon Bell was a known quantity. His ability to play both left back and centrally made him an attractive bench commodity for a team expecting to make deep runs in multiple competitions. He was exactly as advertised, a solid backup who was cost efficient, even earning an above average 7 rating in the same RSL match where those younger guys made their lone appearances.
How it started: Seattle chose Bell rather than the more expensive contract of Nathan for some depth across the back. With up-and-coming talent Stuart Hawkins hopefully taking the next developmental step, it made sense to see if Bell could be a cost-efficient bridge to the next iteration of defenders. He did this well, holding his own in three appearances in the Club World Cup and getting plenty of time in MLS.
How it ended: Bell did what was expected of him, appearing in half of the Sounders matches in 2025. His flexibility and readiness made him a good option both off the bench and in some spot starts. However, his few poor outings meant he wasn’t likely to win a starting job, as his ceiling remained low. In particular, Jon was awful against a depleted Vancouver team in June, earning a 3 rating for a red card dismissal after a poor starting effort.
Where do we go from here? Bell is a fairly solid defensive MLS player with some versatility. While the team does need players like him, he’s likely looking for more playing time on a team with less depth, and would probably have to take a pay cut to remain with the Sounders, especially with Alex Roldan showing so well at center back.
#26 Reed Baker-Whiting – 2025 Overall Rating 5.32 in 19 appearances
Community Rating – 5.19
MLS Regular Season: 5.00 in 14 appearances
Club World Cup: 6.00 in 2 appearances
Leagues Cup: 6.33 in 3 appearances
High = 7 | Low = 3
In 2024, Reed appeared a massive 31 times at only age 19, so it seemed like he was poised for a breakout year in 2025. Hampered by injuries early, he only managed 19 appearances this year, but he did take a step up in ratings, improving nearly a third of a point over his previous season average. This included an excellent 7 rating in the biggest game of Seattle’s season.
How it started: Expectations were sky high after Baker-Whiting was heavily featured toward the end of 2024, but an injury followed him into this season. With the addition of players like Paul Arriola, there was potential for Reed to be forgotten this year.
How it ended: Every time he was given a chance to play, RBW was solid. He will want to build on his excellent showing in the Leagues Cup final, a deserved above average rating. He didn’t consistently show enough to beat out the options in front of him, however, and this meant he was an afterthought for much of the final 2025 push.
Where do we go from here? It’s hard to predict what’s next for RBW moving forward. He still doesn’t look to have a “best” position, instead excelling as a hybrid left wide player that doesn’t always fit into the Sounders’ lineup and tactics. He could seize more minutes or even a starting role at left back if he can continue on his upward growth, especially defensively, but he must outperform veterans.
#25 Cody Baker – 2025 Overall Rating: 5.33 in 3 appearances
Community Rating – 5.35
MLS Regular Season: 5.33 in 3 appearances
High = 6 | Low = 3
Cody Baker had double digit appearances in multiple prior years, but this shrunk to only three appearances in 2025. One was a start at left back against SKC in August and he was solid.
How it started: Coming off a number of years as a Sounders backup, Baker entered 2025 at 21 years old with a ton of potential, but looking for a landing place on the team. Playing mainly right back, the team’s new talent quickly overshadowed him.
How it ended: Without Sounders playing time, Cody reverted to playing right back for Defiance. Eventually, he was loaned to Sacramento FC in the USL, who made it to their conference quarters before losing in PKs. With his loan up, Baker returns to the Sounders, still young, but with a cloudy future.
Where do we go from here? It’s hard to imagine Baker returning from his loan and suddenly having a lot to offer the first team Sounders. With an MLS average rating in his lone start, Cody is young enough to offer a high upside possibility, but they’ll likely be assessing that growth while he plays for the Defiance.
