ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 23, 2025) — Orlando City SC defender Alex Freeman has been named as a finalist for Major League Soccer’s MLS Young Player of the Year, recognizing the league’s top young talent.
The 21-year-old right back has had a standout season, making 27 starts in 30 MLS appearances for the Lions, and 34 starts in 38 matches across all competitions. Freeman has scored six goals and provided three assists in league play, along with three additional assists in other competitions. He has also been a consistent presence at the international level with the U.S. since earning his first call-up ahead of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, a tournament in which he became the youngest player to start all games for the Americans.
Among defenders in MLS this season, only Minnesota’s Anthony Markanich (nine goals) has scored more than Freeman. Just five other defenders, Markanich, Kai Wagner, Jordi Alba, Andrew Gutman and Andy Nájar, have recorded more total goal contributions in league play.
The finalists for the annual awards earned the highest average votes from MLS club technical staff, MLS first-team players and select media members, with each group accounting for 33.3 percent of the overall results.
