Atlanta United midfielder Julian Gressel has been named the 2017 AT&T Rookie of the Year, Major League Soccer announced today. Selected No. 8 overall in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, Gressel registered the third most assists (9) in MLS history by a rookie.
An immediate contributor for Atlanta United, Gressel, 23, appeared in 32 matches with 24 starts. In addition to his nine assists, Gressel also scored five goals and was deployed in a variety of positions in head coach Tata Martino’s system. He started each of Atlanta’s first six matches and solidified himself in one of the most prolific attacks in league history, helping Atlanta become just the sixth team to score 70 goals.