#26 Danny Musovski – 2024 Overall Rating: 4.90 in 29 appearances
Community Rating – 5.12
MLS Regular Season: 4.91 in 23 appearances
MLS Playoffs: 5.00 in 1 appearance
US Open Cup: 4.68 in 3 appearances
Leagues Cup: 5.00 in 2 appearances
High = 7 Low = 4
The first player in the countdown to showcase in all four iterations of ratings, Musovski was expected to be a big contributor and part of the Sounders’ success this year. He played in 29 matches, but his low ratings ranking comes from substitute appearances which were mostly underwhelming. Danny ended with a dismal 1g/1a statline for the entire MLS season in 502 minutes, and had identical stats in an Open Cup résumé of only three appearances and 211 minutes.
Highlights: There were tantalizing moments where Danny showed a style of play and skillset that Seattle was desperately missing. Had he been healthy, he might have been a key contributor in 2024. He looked fantastic in a start at DC United in April, as his dynamic movement supercharged the Sounders counter attacking formation: “Although he only touched the ball four times, the dynamic movement and 100 percent completion rate from Musovski was a different look for the Seattle front line.” Unfortunately, this outing was cut short with his injury in the 20th minute, ruining a great appearance where Seattle was leading and dominating prior to his exit. A substitute appearance against San Jose in March saw Musovski nearly steal a point for Seattle as he lurked at the back post and won a goal-scoring header for his lone MLS tally of the season. This demonstrated Danny’s potential, yet for some reason he didn’t get a similar chance in the box the whole rest of the year.
Lowlights: Barely beating Phoenix Rising at Starfire with a lineup including veterans like Musovski showed how badly Seattle struggled early in the year. He had a chance to win this match when Jordan Morris found him with a through ball that got Danny 1-v-1 with a USL keeper in the 87th minute of a tied match. Danny didn’t even hit the goal, missing wide, part of his consistent problem with poor execution in essential moments. He took, and missed, the first penalty against Louisville. In his worst MLS outing, he was pulled after just nine touches, at halftime in Austin: “Musovski played striker in two minds. His runs looked like he wanted to stay high and get service into the box, which was nonexistent. His defensive positioning was so deep and passive for long stretches that he was effectively marking PDLV, which … wasn’t great.” This inability to score and capitalize on the chances from smart movement meant 2024 was an abject failure for Musovski.
Outlook: In 2024 Musovski seemed similarly snakebitten as his predecessor (Héber) but scored lower ratings as Danny saw a lot of substitute work, unfortunately without payoff. A late-season injury denied him opportunities to provide offensive impact in the playoffs. His movement and combination play may still have value, but Musovski will want to put this disappointing year behind him and come back healthy and able to contribute in 2025.
Realio
#24 (tie) Stuart Hawkins – 2024 Overall Rating: 5.00 in 2 appearances
Community Rating – N/A
US Open Cup: 5.00 in 2 appearances
High = 5 Low = 5
Stuart Hawkins is one of the most highly touted defensive players in the Sounders organization since DeAndre Yedlin, and for good reason. At 17 years old he was playing for the US youth national team and dominating on the international stage. He has a wonderful mix of size and mobility for his age, creating a dominant center back who has range and distribution. Now 18 and signed to a full Sounders contract, Hawkins is one of the jewels of the academy system, already showing well at nearly every level with a sky’s-the-limit ceiling and great base skillset.
Highlights: In two May Open Cup outings, Hawkins received the call to represent the Sounders and already looked better than USL players, an exciting development as he continued to level up nearly every match. Next to Jon Bell and then Jackson Ragen, Stuart held his own. “Again paired with various MLS-caliber center backs, Hawkins looked the part, able to do the physical things needed in the back and coordinate possession through clean passing.” Those are both quality defenders, and pairing well with them at his age is a great sign for Hawkins’ future prospects.
Lowlights: In those same two Cup matches, Stuart showed he’s not yet MLS level, prone to some youthful mistakes, and relying on superior athleticism to cover some positional and tactical mistakes. On multiple occasions he was badly beaten, relying on desperation slide tackles and quality (yet risky) lunging saves to deny attacks, inspiring this comment: “Being able to get yourself out of a jam is a great skill, but more useful is not getting in those jams in the first place.” Moving to MLS where the athletes are substantially better, Hawkins will need to develop the decision making and positioning tactics that can combine with his physical traits in order to succeed.
Outlook: A player with massive upside, Seattle is looking to strike defensive gold again, like their development of Jackson Ragen. With a national team pedigree and international play experience at such a young age, Sounders have a fantastic asset with time to develop. Hawkins showing such promise at 18 has people already dreaming of his potential as a first team starter, but he’ll need to continue to develop to sniff minutes behind the MLS’ best defensive unit. If he can learn the positioning and body control to bring his mental game in line with his clear physical attributes, those minutes may be as soon as 2025.
#24 (tie) Léo Chú – 2024 Overall Rating: 5.00 in 19 appearances
Community Rating – 5.30
MLS Regular Season: 5.143 in 14 appearances
MLS Playoffs: 4.00 in 1 appearance
US Open Cup: 4.00 in 1 appearance
Leagues Cup: 4.67 in 3 appearances
High = 7 Low = 4
In 2023, Chú had 36 appearances and burst into the Sounders’ long term plans with dynamic wide play and 5g/8a. Expected to build upon that, instead Léo took a step back in 2024. “Chú had three chances to push for more playing time, compete with Rothrock for potential starts, and show he could at least be a powerful sub to come in and tilt the field. He did not display this ability.” Chú versus Rothrock for minutes showed two players moving in opposite directions. With 19 appearances and only a single goal and assist, Léo fell out of favor, and injuries and coach’s choice meant he was completely absent in the last 10 critical matches of the year.
Highlights: In the April road loss at DC, Chú’s outing was cut short due to injury just 30 minutes in. In those 30 minutes, however, Léo was fantastic, involved in a dominant Sounder start to the match. “Chú didn’t get long on the field but he showed an offensive flair … Smart movement and the speed to keep up with a Morris breakout meant Léo was unmarked in the box in the 14th minute. When presented with a chance to score, unlike his teammates, he forcefully and cleanly put the ball away … He had a shot, a goal, and about the most production from eight touches you could hope for in a severely abbreviated outing.” This was the connection we were hoping for, with Chú and Morris blasting past defenses and creating easy scores with dynamic movement. We saw glimpses of this in sporadic appearances the rest of the season, and when he was healthy, you could see game-breaking talent in spurts. In an early season match with Austin we saw this ability: “For a 10-15 minute stretch in the second half, it was the Léo Chú show, as he marauded down the left, torturing Austin with his dribbles while connecting to teammates and creating chance after chance. Chú was cookin’, creating defensive gaps in the Austin backline and asking questions of the opponents.” This tantalizing glimpse of skills that can dominate opponents is what keeps Chú intriguing.
Lowlights: Looking like a prominent creator for Seattle, instead Chú couldn’t stay healthy in 2024, and when he did get on the field, he struggled. After playing okay in the first three matches of the season, he was hurt and missed the next five. He only managed to play in 15 matches, missing 23 games out of the next 38 possible, either due to more injuries or a lack of confidence from the coaching staff. With a chance to excel against lower level competition, Chú was horrible against Louisville in the Open Cup, culminating in missing his penalty try. Throughout the year, Léo was disconnected from the team, especially Pedro de la Vega, inspiring this depressing comment: “Chú wasn’t active and wasn’t effective; seeing him stand around and watch his teammates move promotes indigestion.” Given three chances to stand out in the Leagues Cup, Léo was a nonfactor, and having lost minutes to teammates on the left wing, he never figured in the Sounders’ MLS plans. “Léo had a great opportunity to play 30 minutes against a tired defense and responded with 14 touches, no shots, no successful dribbles, no successful crosses, and some good effort that didn’t amount to much.“ This sort of comment defined nearly all his appearances. Whether from a lack of on field production, attitude, poor practice habits, lack of defensive intensity, or a combination, Léo Chú lost the faith of his coaching staff and he was a forgotten player in 2024.
Outlook: The news that Chú was both re-signed and protected in the expansion draft was a surprise, but he is still only 24 and has upside even if he was nearly forgotten this season. Seattle has also spent quite a bit on Léo, and if he survives the offseason without a move, he will need to show more in the upcoming season to earn the fans’ trust. Léo still possesses game-breaking speed and the 1-v-1 ability to create that few players in MLS have, but 2025 success will depend on how much he elevates nearly every other part of his performance. Just getting back to 2023 numbers won’t be enough, but would still be an improvement over a miserable 2024.
#23 Reed Baker-Whiting – 2024 Overall Rating: 5.03 in 31 appearances
Community Rating – 5.48
MLS Regular Season: 5.00 in 22 appearances
MLS Playoffs: 5.00 in 3 appearances
US Open Cup: 7.00 in 1 appearances
Leagues Cup: 4.80 in 5 appearances
High = 7 Low = 4
Folks were rightfully high on Reed entering 2024, as he ended 2023 on a high amid several quality appearances. A pre-season injury set him back after ending the previous season via injury, and then he played briefly in the opener but got hurt again. By the time he was ready to join the team, he struggled to find time and separate himself from other competing teammates. One big issue was RBW’s inability to define himself in the Sounders system; is he a fullback or a winger? He often showed just okay in one or the other. Without a true wingback formation, which may better fit his skills, in 2024 Reed did not excel defensively enough to play defense or offensively enough to play offense, leaving him lost and sometimes forgotten.
Highlights: In the Open Cup against Sacramento, Reed displayed his talent and people predicted he would be moved on to bigger things in the summer: “Starting in front of Nouhou and again being a dynamic attacking force, Reed is taking his chance to show what he can do in an advanced attacking position and running with it. His dynamic passing created multiple chances and one incredible pass was an assist on the Morris goal.” That glimpse of game-breaking ability showed the massive ceiling RBW possesses. He continued to receive opportunities for the entire season, at multiple positions. Reed especially excelled finding dynamic entries into the box, often using power and balance to beat a man before crossing with clarity into dangerous areas. His physical toughness and balance were improved in 2024, and he was consistently able to battle in the offensive end to win possession for Seattle.
Lowlights: Reed was another player who underperformed lofty expectations this season. All the tantalizing metrics are there — size, touch, vision, speed — but putting them all together was frustratingly elusive for this young player. And he must improve on straight defense. A candidate to bring a more offensive flavor to a stagnant left side, Reed was consistently given chances to play fullback but struggled with the defensive aspect of the role. This comment from the loss to SKC in June summed it up: “The red card was a byproduct of poor defense. Defenders need to defend, and Reed got into the card mess due to tired legs, not being in the right position, and trying to compensate with physicality. The first card was a lunging and unnecessary defensive play and the second was similar. Better positioning, stronger mental conditioning, and a team not expecting all the offensive creativity to come from a 19 year old guy on his first start in months will be helpful.” While clearly not all his fault, this match showed how Reed struggles with the straight up defensive duties required of a wide fullback. When given the opportunity to play less defense as a wide attacking option, Reed looked better, but didn’t create enough attack in an offense starved for creativity. In 25 MLS appearances, Baker-Whiting didn’t show up in the stat book with a single goal or assist.
Outlook: Reed took a step back in his development this year, and will want to reclaim the form that saw him end 2023 on a hot streak. Only 19 years old with a ton of experience, 2025 will be an opportunity for RBW to combine his defensive and offensive skills. If Seattle plays the same tactics as 2024, Reed will need to improve his stand up defense to be a fullback option, and show offensive results to be a wide attacking option. Perhaps he fits a tactical approach that includes wingback play, allowing him to be a two-way wide player. Reed has the tools and talent to be a game changer who forces his way to bigger and better leagues, but needs to take the steps to realize that potential.
#22 Dylan Teves – 2024 Overall Rating: 5.13 in 8 appearances
Community Rating – 5.11
MLS Regular Season: 5.167 in 6 appearances
US Open Cup: 5.00 in 2 appearances
High = 6 Low = 5
Teves regressed from his 13 appearances in 2023 and couldn't get on the field much in 2024 as a Sounders player, even with plenty of opportunity. When he played he was just okay, and didn’t show any ratings growth in his three-year Seattle career. A quality player who gave an average performance each outing off the bench, Dylan was notable for never having a bad game for the Sounders, but neither did he stand out much. In 2024 he had eight appearances but wasn’t able to separate himself from a multitude of other players competing for minutes.
Highlights: “Teves, who hasn’t featured much lately, came in for a tiring Rothrock and was given the task of helping hold on as a Seattle squad playing up a man was somehow outworked late, Teves had five touches and completed all his passes. His 93rd minute defense and hustle was an essential effort to help see out the win.” This was what you got from Dylan: tactical smarts and the kind of tough hustle that could eat some minutes to keep a game state level. When given an opportunity, like he got just two minutes after entering against Montreal, Teves finished clean for his lone goal of the season. This appearance was indicative of Dylan’s entire career — he needed others to create for him, but when given an opportunity, he finished it. Also appreciated was Teves’ ability to understand the game state, enter late, diligently press and defend from the front, and see out matches for Seattle.
Lowlights: Dylan’s last appearance as a Sounder came in July, against Austin. The final words I wrote about him were: “Raise your hand if you forgot Teves was on the team.” This guy worked hard but in the end, was unfortunately forgettable. To be a jack of all trades, your base level has to be higher than Dylan’s. When compared to Cristian Roldan for his flexibility, Teves repeatedly reminded that he couldn’t measure up. His talent floor wasn’t high enough to feature in 2024, and the ceiling was low and lacking a vision of upside on the horizon. So while he could come in late and help hold on, he showed zero game-breaking or MLS+ skills to alter tactics in Seattle’s favor. In the first half of the season, the Sounders were rarely ahead, so his “help see out a match” skill was unnecessary. When the team turned the corner midway through 2024, others had taken advantage of their chances and passed him by.
Outlook: Teves was a fun Seattle story, a guy who entered the discussion doing some of everything for the local college, before forcing his way onto the team via effort and an ability to support multiple positions. A player with a high tactical floor, but low technical ceiling, at the end of 2024 the Sounders decided his skillset was redundant, and he was cut loose. Unable to take the jump on a path quite similar to fellow alum Cristian Roldan, Dylan was a great guy who produced sporadically when given minutes, but didn’t have enough upside to keep him blocking other options as Seattle prepares for a congested 2025.
