Is it too early to start making assumptions about how the MLS regular season will pan out?
It’s a fair question to ask. With four matchdays in the books and only 360-plus minutes of play per team, 2025 yields a small sample size and plenty of time left in a campaign that extends all the way into October.
That said, there are some interesting trends that have emerged after only one month.
In what has proven to be a fascinating checkpoint, a number of surprise players have taken charge and stolen the early spotlight from many of the league’s biggest names. As is the norm in MLS, this season is so far looking like another in which we should expect the unexpected through not only team performances, but also the individual players.
With that in mind, let’s dive into five players who have hit the ground running in the 2025 MVP race, as well as checking in on a few preseason favorites that have room to catch up to the pack.
The Early Top Five
Tai Baribo | forward | 27 | Philadelphia Union
League minutes played: 319
Goals: 6
Assists: 0
FotMob rating: 8.04
Is he outperforming his xG (3.69) and it’s only a matter of time before he slows down his goal-scoring pace? Probably, but there’s no denying that Baribo has been the most efficient forward in MLS so far, with six goals from only nine shots.
Scoring all of them in the 18-yard box and through one-touch opportunities, it makes you wonder if there’s a case of luck to the player who seems to always be in the right place at the right time, or if his brilliant positioning makes his form sustainable.
Luck or not, much of his success will be dependent on his teammates that have done their work to feed the striker and others in the frontline. Dániel Gazdag, Quinn Sullivan and Kai Wagner lead the club in chances created, with seven each.
Hugo Cuypers | forward | 28 | Chicago Fire FC
League minutes played: 293
Goals: 4
Assists: 1
FotMob rating: 8.13
Goal off a header? Check. From the penalty spot? Check. After being involved in the buildup? Yup, check that one too.
What stands out about Cuypers is not just his ability to quickly find the back of the net four times, but also the variety of goals he has scored. As seen in his assist, he also has the vision to set things up with his four chances created in just as many appearances.
Looking back on a 2024 season in which it took him 16 games to score the same amount of goals in 2025 so far, the new season is clearly a resurgent one for the player who cost the Fire an €11 million transfer fee to recruit from Gent early last year.
Anders Dreyer | forward | 26 | San Diego FC
League minutes played: 360
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
FotMob rating: 7.99
There’s a long list of names that have three goals like Dreyer — eight, to be exact — but what sets San Diego’s Designated Player apart is his playmaking that has him fifth overall in xA across MLS.
Even when the currently injured Mexico superstar Hirving “Chucky” Lozano was healthy and on the field, Dreyer has earned highlight-reel moments through his breathtaking distribution and ability to find the back of the net.
Well-rounded in the attack and coupled with a dangerous combo of speed and power behind his shots, the Denmark international will continue to be a menace for defenders across the league.
Luis Suárez | forward | 38 | Inter Miami CF
League minutes played: 291
Goals: 1
Assists: 4
FotMob rating: 7.76
