Predictions are fun, right? Well that is exactly what we have for you today! After the Sounders finished their preseason with a pair of wins over Louisville City, the Sounders look ahead to their season opener this coming weekend.
At the end of each season, it is fun to give out team-specific awards such as Team MVP, Newcomer of the Year, and so on. Since the season has not begun just yet, why not try to predict these awards now? So that come the end of the year, we can look back and see just how right, or really wrong, I am!
TEAM MVP: Albert Rusnak
Albert Rusnak is the centerpiece of the Sounders system. His role as the 10 is vital for the team’s attacking success. Last season, Rusnak appeared in 41 games (36 starts) and scored 14 goals and 9 assists in all competitions. He led the team in assists last season and was second in goals scored.
If the Sounders are to replicate their successes of 2025, Rusnak will need to be at the center of it. Rusnak has been the Sounders’ most productive player the last two seasons. In 2024, he recorded 11 goals and 15 assists in 42 games.
Rusnak will be the center of the team’s attack in 2026. Just as he was the last two seasons. Prior to 2024, Rusnak played a lot of time as a central midfielder as more of an 8 than a 10. Since switching positions within the Sounders system, he has returned to the form that he had with Real Salt Lake and, at times, even better.
Last season’s MVP was Cristian Roldan. You can certainly make a case for it being him once again. He is the engine of the machine that is the Seattle Sounders. But it is truly a “prove it” year for Albert Rusnak, and it feels like he will deliver.
GOLDEN BOOT: Jordan Morris
2025 wasn’t a great year for Jordan Morris. He suffered a hamstring injury against Cruz Azul in CCC, before suffering a freak shoulder injury against San Jose in the summer. Morris was coming off his best season ever with the Sounders. In 2024, Morris led the team with 18 goals (plus 5 assists) in 44 games in all competitions.
In 2025, Morris spent a majority of the year sidelined with injuries. He only started in 12 games last season, out of his 22 non-playoff appearances. Despite these setbacks, his underlying numbers were very promising. In just over 1,000 minutes in MLS last season, Morris averaged 0.61 goals per 90 minutes. For a player who came off the bench in the majority of his minutes played, that isn’t half bad at all. In fact, most of his attacking stats per 90 minutes are pretty good.
I anticipate a bounce back year from the Sounders’ all-time leading scoring. Scoring 10+ goals should be the minimum expectation. Since 2016, Morris has only failed to hit double-digit goals twice. Both seasons were marred with injury.
If Morris can stay healthy, which he has done most of his career, the Sounders should expect plenty of goals from the club’s record holder.
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR: Jackson Ragen
The Sounders are somewhat spoiled when it comes to great centerbacks. Both Yeimar and Ragen have been nominated for MLS Defender of the Year in the last few seasons. Before the duo we have now, we had greats like Chad Marshall and Roman Torres. This team has never really lacked in the defensive department.
Looking back at last season, it was a down year for Ragen. He was a nominee for DotY in 2024. In 2025, his stats took a dip in comparison to what he had done in the year prior. The team itself seemed to take a step back defensively in 2025 as a whole.
Was it due to how many games the team had played? Maybe. It is hard to pinpoint a single cause over the course of a whole season. Since 2020, the Sounders had only conceded more than 40 goals in a season twice. Last season and 2022, when the Sounders missed the playoffs.
Ragen, who turns 28 in September, is right in the prime of his career. Down years can happen, but it doesn’t feel like that is the norm for Ragen. Anticipate a bounce-back year in 2026 for the Sounders defense as a whole, with Ragen at the center of it.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Hassani Dotson
To be fair, this one feels like an easy answer. The Sounders did not make very many additions to the squad in the winter transfer window. Most of the additions were depth pieces as well.
Hassani Dotson is likely going to be the replacement for Obed Vargas for the time being. Dotson started every game of the preseason with the first choice lineup in that position.
The Federal Way native spent seven seasons with Minnesota United after being selected by the Loons in the 2019 MLS Superdraft. He made 176 appearances with the club, scoring 18 goals and a career-high of five in 2024.
Dotson spent the majority of 2025 sidelined with a torn meniscus injury he suffered in March. He was out of action for six months. He made just 12 appearances in 2025 in all competitions.
Dotson fits the culture of the Sounders very well. He plays with grit and endless pursuit. His partnership next to Cristian Roldan should keep the midfield looking like a well-oiled machine.
Should you expect Dotson to be a flashy star? No. That isn’t what he is intended to be. Similarly to Roldan, these types of players tend to be at their best when you aren’t really noticing them. Their quality and precision just looks so simple that you tend to forget that these are the guys that make the team run. They don’t score many goals, but they are vital to the squad.
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Osaze de Rosario/Snyder Brunell
It is hard to pick just one player who may break out in 2025. Osaze de Rosario arguably had his breakout moment in the 2025 Leagues Cup, where he scored 4 goals in 6 matches, including one in the final against Inter Miami.
Snyder Brunell, on the other hand, may get plenty of opportunities to prove that he should be the new Obed Vargas for the team. He played in 8 games last season and scored a pair of goals (in his first two MLS matches for the club).
Osaze de Rosario has been red-hot in preseason. He scored 4 goals in 3 preseason starts. In the two most recent preseason games, de Rosario started up top as the 9 with Morris and Ferreira on the wings. In the Friendly against Swedish-club Hammarby, de Rosario scored a fantastic solo-goal with a dribble that started near midfield.
With a back injury to Danny Musovski potentially causing him to miss time, de Rosario has a chance to start out hot right out the gates in 2026. He could be the “u22 Striker*” that fans have been dreaming about. * – de Rosario is 24, though.
Snyder Brunell seems to have very similar qualities to Obed Vargas. One thing that Brunell seemed to do better was his runs into the box and getting into attacking spots. Vargas was a much more defensive-minded midfielder, which the Sounders needed him to be. We saw in the playoffs that Vargas was being pushed to find spots in the attack, and it led to two goals in game two against Minnesota.
Brunell appears to have more of an attack-based mindset as a central midfielder. If he is able to put himself in the right place consistently, it gives the Sounders another way to break through opposing defenses.
Expect for both players to be given a chance to prove their worth in 2026.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: JESUS FERREIRA
It is safe to say that Jesus Ferreira had a relatively lackluster 2025 season after joining the Sounders. Ferreira finished the year with 5 goals and 9 assists in 48 games across all competitions. Before an injury-shortened 2024 season, Ferreira had back to back 10+ goal seasons with Dallas, including a career-high 18 goals in 2022.
Ferreira is still trying to find his role with the Sounders. Is he a winger, a 10, or a center forward? He played in all three positions last season. It seems that his biggest impact is off the wing, where he has played the most, but he did provide a good replacement for Rusnak when needed.
When the Sounders sign a new player, you anticipate immediate results. That has not happened in recent years. It took Rusnak a couple seasons to get into top form. Pedro de la Vega had a poor first season, but finally looked like the star we signed last season (before a brutal knee injury knocked him out of the playoffs). Remember Leo Chu took a season or two to get settled.
I think we will see the same with Ferreira. Attacking players have to adapt to Brian Schmetzer’s system. If Ferreira is given a more defined role within the squad, I wouldn’t be surprised if he begins to flourish in 2026.
Additionally, there is added pressure of starting hot and starting quickly because of the World Cup this summer. The players are still fighting for roster spots, and Ferreira is no exception. If he wants a chance at making the World Cup roster, he needs a great first half of the season. That’s added pressure, but also added motivation.
It would not be a big shock to me if Ferreira has a 10+ goal season in his 2nd year with the Sounders. More than likely, I’d expect 15 G/A for Jesus Ferreira in 2026.
When the 2026 season comes to a close, let’s check back in on these predictions and see how well they age. If they age well, it will be a good year of soccer in Seattle.
The Sounders host Colorado Rapids this weekend to open the 2026 season. Tune back in to House of Sounders for full coverage of the match and every match this season!
(Cover Photo Credit: Ryan Hampton)
