Best Defensive players by Season Rating in Major League Soccer

The best defensive players in Major League Soccer, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in Major League Soccer Best defensive defenders in Major League Soccer Best defensive midfielders in Major League Soccer Best defensive attackers in Major League Soccer Best players in Major League Soccer Most in-form players in Major League Soccer

At a glance

O. Wolff of Austin is the standout for raw talent across players in Major League Soccer, with a Field Insider Rating of 50.3, and L. Messi has been the form player this season, grading 99.9.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: A. Dreyer has improved his Season rating most, up +54.2 on last season, while O. Valakari's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +10.2 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, Marco Pasalic of Orlando City SC is the most valuable name in this group at 14.4.

San Diego · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

A. Dreyer+54.2SsN

San Diego · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	K. Wagner Full-back	Philadelphia Union	29	58.4	5874.3%	3315.7%
2	J. Glesnes Centre-back	Philadelphia Union	32	54.2	5468.3%	2219%
3	N. Harriel Centre-back	Philadelphia Union	25	47.9	4854%	423%
4	Sergi Palencia Full-back	Los Angeles FC	30	45.3	456.3%	2912.2%
5	A. Malanda Centre-back	Charlotte	24	44.8	4511.4%	455%
6	L. Bombino Full-back	San Diego	20	44.2	44	48
7	M. Fofana Centre-back	New England Revolution	28	44.1	44119.4%	3330.8%
8	O. Makhanya Centre-back	Philadelphia Union	22	43.9	44	45
9	C. McVey Centre-back	San Diego	29	39.3	397.4%	332.7%
10	B. Ceballos Centre-back	New England Revolution	25	38.4	38966.7%	4318.5%
11	L. Engel Full-back	FC Cincinnati	27	38.2	38809.5%	3828.1%
12	E. Segura Full-back	Los Angeles FC	29	37.9	38110.6%	31±0%
13	M. Laborda Centre-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	26	37.3	3758.1%	421.9%
14	É. Ocampo Full-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	22	37.1	373610%	4729%
15	M. Robinson Centre-back	FC Cincinnati	29	35.5	3619.5%	2921.2%
16	T. Ream Centre-back	Charlotte	38	35.2	35160.7%	1113.4%
17	A. Markanich Centre-back	Minnesota United FC	26	35.2	35425.4%	413.6%
18	Thiago Martins Centre-back	New York City FC	31	34.6	3590.1%	2421.8%
19	R. Hollingshead Full-back	Los Angeles FC	35	34.1	3417%	167.2%
20	D. Lovitz Full-back	Nashville SC	34	33.2	3329.7%	1711.5%
21	A. Najar Full-back	Nashville SC	33	33.1	3380.9%	196%
22	G. Dorsey Full-back	Houston Dynamo	27	32.2	328.5%	3713.2%
23	Guilherme Biro Centre-back	Austin	26	32.1	3229.4%	417.7%
24	T. Beason Centre-back	New England Revolution	29	31.5	32246.2%	2814.6%
25	M. Boxall Centre-back	Minnesota United FC	37	30.9	3136.1%	1322.9%
26	F. Westfield Full-back	Philadelphia Union	20	30.8	31	45
27	N. Tafari Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	29	30.7	3159.1%	2823.1%
28	K. O'Toole Centre-back	New York City FC	27	30	30147.9%	3518.8%
29	B. Hlongwane Full-back	Minnesota United FC	26	29.6	3021.9%	418.7%
30	R. Cannon Centre-back	Colorado Rapids	28	29.2	29648.7%	32±0%
31	T. Gray Centre-back	New York City FC	23	29.1	2973.2%	425.2%
32	T. Johnson Centre-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	21	29.1	29	46
33	F. Escobar Full-back	Houston Dynamo	31	28.9	2911.6%	2124.6%
34	K. Rowles Centre-back	DC United	28	28.9	2916.1%	3415%
35	J. Glad Centre-back	Real Salt Lake	29	28.8	2916%	3113.8%
36	T. Blackmon Centre-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	29	28.5	2970.7%	2916%
37	S. Rosted Centre-back	Toronto FC	32	28.5	2926.1%	217.9%
38	F. Surman Centre-back	Portland Timbers	22	28.4	287000%	4627.8%
39	Felipe Andrade Centre-back	Houston Dynamo	24	28.2	28475.5%	4127%
40	A. Privett Centre-back	Charlotte	26	28	2858.2%	3720.7%
41	Y. Gómez Centre-back	Seattle Sounders	34	27.9	2837.7%	1335.1%
42	A. Gutman Full-back	Chicago Fire	29	26.9	27289.9%	3315.2%
43	S. Nealis Centre-back	New York Red Bulls	29	26.9	276.9%	2724.5%
44	A. Roldan Full-back	Seattle Sounders	30	26.7	2733.2%	2621.5%
45	J. Marshall-Rutty Full-back	Charlotte	22	26.7	2745.1%	430.9%
46	N. Byrne Centre-back	Charlotte	34	26.4	2628.5%	1245.3%
47	O. Urhoghide Centre-back	FC Dallas	26	26.3	2611.9%	3930.8%
48	O. Svatok Centre-back	Austin	31	26.3	26415.7%	239.4%
49	D. Brekalo Full-back	Orlando City SC	27	26.3	2682.6%	364%
50	R. Edwards Full-back	New York Red Bulls	31	26.2	2646.4%	1929.7%