My MLS midseason awards selections

MLS is officially paused for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, entering a rare midseason break before the biggest tournament in the sport gets underway. With the World Cup still about a week away from kicking off, now feels like a good opportunity to take stock of what we’ve seen so far.

Before turning our full attention to the World Cup, here are a few unofficial midseason honors and a look back at the players that have stood out (for better or for worse) through the break.

Outside-the-box MVP

Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps)

We all know Lionel Messi is on track to take these honors for a third consecutive year, and frankly, there’s unfortunately no real argument to be had there. His output remains absurd – 12g/8a in just over 1,200 minutes this season – and if he maintains anything close to that pace, he’ll cruise to the award once again.

That said, it doesn’t exactly make for the most interesting discussion. So instead, here’s an outside-the-box non-Messi pick: Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who looks increasingly likely to start for the US men’s national team when the World Cup group stage kicks off.

After breaking out for Vancouver in 2025, Berhalter has looked downright demonic this season. He sits at 6g/7a, but even the excellent stat-sheet production undersells his overall influence on matches for a Whitecaps side that remains firmly in the Western Conference contender conversation.

Berhalter is the definition of a complete midfielder and arguably the league’s best non-Messi set-piece taker. In a season where high-profile names like Evander, Anders Dreyer, and Son Heung-min have seen their teams experience varying levels of inconsistency, it opens the door for a more unconventional MVP shout like Berhalter to emerge.

Best signing/new acquisition

Cristian Espinoza (Nashville SC)

The best addition any team made this offseason arguably wasn’t an external signing at all. It was Nashville SC capitalizing on Cristian Espinoza’s unexpected availability in free agency and bringing the Argentine chance-creation specialist to the Music City, where he's formed an electric attacking trio with Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge.

It’s the kind of move that looked like an obvious fit on paper and has translated seamlessly onto the field. Espinoza provides exactly the type of wide creative threat Nashville needed to complement Mukhtar and Surridge, adding another layer to an attack that had occasionally lacked variety in recent seasons.

The results have been difficult for opponents to handle. Nashville currently sit atop the Supporters’ Shield standings with 33 points (10W-1L-3D), while Espinoza has contributed 3g/8a in his early run with the club.

Biggest disappointment

Miguel Almiron and Emmanuel Latte Lath (Atlanta United)

Either of these players would be a reasonable pick for this category on their own. But when you consider that both Miguel Almirón and Emmanuel Latte Lath occupy Designated Player spots and each carries a transfer fee north of $10 million, they earn co-recognition for this dubious honor. It really underscores just how complicated things have become for Tata Martino and Atlanta United, who may be facing the most challenging DP situation I’ve ever seen in MLS.

Let's start with Almirón, who returned to Atlanta from Newcastle United in a widely celebrated homecoming ahead of the 2025 season. After a disappointing first year back, the idea was that a reset could unlock a stronger 2026 campaign. Instead, he's managed just three assists in eight appearances – all of which came in a single match – before an injury interrupted his season. He's set to lead Paraguay at the World Cup, so maybe that gives him a jolt, but that feels far-fetched at this point.

Then there’s Latte Lath, who arrived in the same window for a reported $22 million fee, setting a new MLS transfer record (since broken by Son Heung-min). So far, he’s scored just nine league goals and has often looked extremely disjointed within Atlanta’s attacking structure.

Atlanta’s third DP, Alexey Miranchuk, has actually been the most effective of the trio this season, but his skillset overlaps heavily with Almirón’s, limiting their ability to function together. At this point, the situation appears to be trending toward a total reset, and it would not be surprising to see Atlanta explore DP buyouts this summer as they attempt to retool the core of the squad.

Coach of the Year

Bruce Arena (San Jose Earthquakes)

This was a difficult category to settle on, with several strong candidates who have done impressive work through the first half of the season. But when considering the full body of work, I just think Bruce Arena’s job with San Jose stands out as one of the more impressive MLS coaching jobs in the last couple of years. It’s worth remembering the preseason expectations for this group. I was among those who questioned how San Jose would respond after a turbulent offseason, particularly the handling of the Espinoza situation. When you add the departure of Chicho Arango, it felt like there was little reason to believe that even a marquee signing like Timo Werner would be enough to stabilize the project.

Instead, San Jose haven’t just stabilized – they’ve become one of the top two or three teams in the league, playing some of the most dynamic and aesthetically pleasing soccer in MLS. A significant part of that success has come from player development and fit: Under Arena, Niko Tsakiris took a meaningful step forward before getting hurt, Timo Werner has looked fit, motivated, and productive, and Preston Judd (more on him next) has emerged as a revelation up top.

At this point, it’s hard to argue against Arena’s influence.

Most Improved Player

Preston Judd (San Jose Earthquakes)

Staying with the Earthquakes theme, it’s difficult to overstate the leap Judd has made in what has become his true breakout season in MLS.

Coming into the year, he was not a player anybody would have projected into the Golden Boot conversation, but that's exactly where he finds himself at the World Cup break. Judd has already set a new career high with 11 goals in just under 1,200 minutes, putting him on pace to push past the 20-goal mark if he maintains anything close to a full-season workload.

To appreciate the scale of the jump, it’s worth noting that prior to this season, Judd's career highs were 1,049 minutes and seven goals. He has already surpassed both marks comfortably, and now looks fully established as a legitimate attacking threat rather than a rotational piece.

Judd’s emergence is one of the more compelling aspects of San Jose’s surprising rise, and there's little reason to think that he won't keep racking up the numbers when the league returns from break.

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