There’s no award for players who “break out” in MLS. Rookies get their due, newcomers get an award and there is even a “Comeback Player of the Year” honor, but for the guys who simply saw a considerable year-to-year improvement, a formal trophy does not exist. Something like the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award would be a nice addition to the yearly MLS trophy case.
Plenty of games remain, and things are far from finished, but we’re here to give those players their own recognition. This top five breakout players list does not include rookies (Jack Elliott, Julian Gressel, Jonathan Lewis, Alex Crognale), newcomers (Miguel Almiron, Yangel Herrera, Victor Vazquez, Nemanja Nikolic, Blerim Dzemaili, Bastian Schweinsteiger) or the more recognizable star players who improved this year, but remain somewhat of a star.