Sounders Draft Two Ballard FC Players in 2026 MLS SuperDraft

The Sounders drafted two Ballard FC players at the 2026 MLS Superdraft: midfielder Joe Dale and goalkeeper Stockton Short. Both players were on the roster of USL League Two side Ballard FC in 2025 and will have the opportunity to make either the Sounders first team or Tacoma Defiance roster in 2026.

Dale, 21, played for the University of Washington where he recently won the national title with the Dawgs and scored UW’s second goal College Cup that championship game against NC State. Overall, Dale made 50 appearances from three years under the purple and gold, scoring five goals and making nine assists. For Ballard, Dale has been part of the Bridges since their establishment in 2022 and appearing in 19 games in the 2025 season with six goals and two assists to show.

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Original Photos: [Dale] Ryan Hampton / House of Sounders; [Short] Blake Dahlin / Ballard FC

Short, also 21, played for Utah State all four years of his college career and played in 47 games while starting all of them. Short set a school record of 105 saves as a junior while tying the nation’s record. In 2025, Short unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury this year that forced him to play only six overall games.

Historically, a number of key players for the Sounders started their MLS careers through the MLS SuperDraft, whether that involved the player initially entering the Sounders first team, Tacoma Defiance, or another MLS club. Active names include:

It is important to note that Jackson Ragen chose to finish his senior year at the University of Michigan in 2021, where he then signed with the Tacoma Defiance later the same year in the summer. The Sounders acquired the league rights to Ragen from the Chicago fire in the following winter, trading a natural third-round pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.

Former notable Sounders players who were drafted in the MLS SuperDraft include:

Some players, like Andy Rose, did not enter MLS through the SuperDraft but entered the league through the MLS Supplemental Draft, which was been discontinued after 2016.

The MLS SuperDraft is a significant part of the pre-season process of introducing new, young players into the league and professional pool. Given the highly competitive nature of professional sports world-wide, the amount of players who end up having an MLS career from being drafted is a significantly small fraction of the total number of the talented athletes drafted.

Cover Photo: Sounders FC Communications