2021 Helltown Beer MLS Player of the Year

Valentín Castellanos is my 2021 MLS Player of the Year for Major League Soccer.

In 2011 I created a basic player rating system that uses player statistics in concert with playing time and team performance. I haven't changed it. Castellanos is my 11th winner.

2021: Valentín Castellanos

2020: Kacper Przyblko

2019: Carlos Vela
2018: Josef Martinez
2017: Nemanja Nikolić
2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2015: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2014: Robbie Keane
2013: Darlington Nagbe
2012: Chris Wondolowski
2011: Todd Dunivant

Helltown Beer MLS Player of the Year

This marks the 9th MLS Player of the Year Award for Helltown. It's the same rating system I've been using since 2011. It's a simple system that looks at basic "box score" statistics and then weighs how well the team did during the regular season. It's not meant to split hairs, it's purpose since day one has been to give me a general idea of who is playing well.

LAFC took over my rating system this year. Six of my top 10 players are on that team. Similar to WhoScored's team of the year (where there are four on the starting 11). MLS's age of "super-teams," comparatively speaking, is here.

You can see the complete FINAL list HERE.

2019 WINNER: CARLOS VELA

Past Winners:
2018: Josef Martinez
2017: Nemanja Nikolić
2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2015: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2014: Robbie Keane
2013: Darlington Nagbe
2012: Chris Wondolowski
2011: Todd Dunivant

Goal scoring players have dominated my winner's list SIX years straight, which lines up with MLS's focus on increasing goals.

Since 2011 I've had 7 forwards, a midfielder and a defender win Player of the Year. I have not changed my methodology since 2011.

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Helltown Beer MLS Player of the Year

This marks the 8th MLS Player of the Year Award for Helltown. Same rating system I've been using since 2011. It's a simple system that looks at basic "box score" statistics and then weighs how well the team did during the regular season. It's not meant to split hairs, it's purpose since day one has been to give me a general idea of who is playing well.

You can see the complete FINAL list HERE.

2018 WINNER: JOSEF MARTINEZ, Atlanta United

Josef had a big year. MLS Cup Winner and New MLS record for goals in a season.

Past Winners:
2017: Nemanja Nikolics
2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2015: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2014: Robbie Keane
2013: Darlington Nagbe
2012: Chris Wondolowski
2011: Todd Dunivant

Goal scoring players have dominated my winner's list five years straight, which lines up with MLS's focus on increasing goals.

Since 2011 I've had 6 forwards, a midfielder and a defender win Player of the Year. I have not changed my methodology since 2011.

Here is a look at the 2018 Top 10:
10.0 : Josef Martínez : Atlanta
9.10 : Bradley Wright-Phillips : New York
8.95 : Miguel Almirón : Atlanta
8.86 : Julian Gressel : Atlanta
8.35 : Graham Zusi : Sporting KC
8.25 : Maximiliano Moralez : New York City FC
8.24 : Cristian Roldan : Seattle
8.13 : Ilie Sánchez : Sporting KC
8.11 : Aaron Long : New York
8.03 : Luciano Acosta : D.C.

Works out with 2 Forwards, 6 Mids, 2 Defenders

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2017 Helltown Beer MLS Player of the Year

Still using the same rating system since 2011. This is a regular season award. The playoffs in MLS are too wonky to measure.

Past Winners:
2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2015: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2014: Robbie Keane
2013: Darlington Nagbe
2012: Chris Wondolowski
2011: Todd Dunivant

2015 HELLTOWN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The all-caps title is kinda over the top. Been using the same tools to measure performance here at Helltown, five years now. Bradley Wright-Phillips is the HELLTOWN BEER PLAYER OF THE YEAR for 2015. I'm as surprised as you are. I trust my system, though. Stay up to date. Throughout the year, I keep this MLS stuff updated on the right-hand nav of this site...

Below - past winners of such, this as.

2014 - ROBBIE KEANE 

DARLINGTON NAGBE - 2013

We Live in a 'Robbie Keane is MVP of MLS' World

Robbie Keane topped my MLS rating system this year. He was also number one over WhoScored.com and Squawka. Castrol Index and MLS fantasy both had him 3rd.

Keane is a special player that had a special year in Major League Soccer, no doubt. What does it mean that a 34 year old scorer went for 19 goals and 14 assists? I have a few (mostly pretentious) ideas, ultimately though - not his problem. He's still playing on an international level and has mastered the art of unlocking MLS defenses.

WHOSCORED.COM Top 10, Age, Position
Robbie Keane L.A. Galaxy, 34, AM(C),FW
Thierry Henry New York Red Bulls, 37, AM(L),FW
Landon Donovan L.A. Galaxy, 32, AM(CLR),FW
Omar González L.A. Galaxy, 26, D(C)
Chad Marshall Seattle Sounders FC, 30, D(C)
Diego Valeri Portland Timbers, 28, AM(CR)
Lee Nguyen New England Rev., 28, AM(C)
Clint Dempsey Seattle Sounders FC, 31, AM(CLR),FW
Aurélien Collin Sporting Kansas City, 28, D(C)
Matt Hedges FC Dallas, 24, D(C)

Squawka.com Top 10
Robbie Keane
Lee Nguyen
Chad Marshall
Clint Dempsey
Thierry Henry
Landon Donovan
Juninho
Osvaldo Alonso
Diego Valeri
Darlington Nagbe

CASTROL INDEX Top 10
Bradley Wright-Phillips
Clint Dempsey
Robbie Keane
Bill Hamid
Fanendo Adi
Joao Plata
Will Bruin
Omar González
Deshorn Brown
Chris Wondolowski

MLS FANTASY Top 10
Landon Donovan
Diego Valeri
Robbie Keane
Bradley Wright-Phillips
Javier Morales
Pedro Morales
Obafemi Martins
Lee Nguyen
Thierry Henry
Dom Dwyer

HELLTOWN BEER Top 10
Robbie Keane (LA)
Landon Donovan (LA)
Obafemi Martins (SEA)
Lee Nguyen (NE)
Diego Valeri (PDX)
Gyasi Zardes (LA)
Stefan Frei (SEA)
Bradley Wright-Phillips (NY)
Bobby Boswell (DC)
Osvaldo Alonso (SEA)

My past winners...

2013 : Darlington Nagbe

2012 : Chris Wondolowski

2011 : Todd Dunivant

2013 HB Player of the Year

Darlington Nagbe wins my MLS player of the year 2013.

Nagbe finished best on my player rating model over the 2013 MLS regular season. He was the persistent quality presence on the Western Conference winning Portland Timbers.

PREVIOUS HELLTOWN BEER WINNERS
2012 : Chris Wondolowski
2011 : Todd Dunivant

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PHOTO: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

MLS Player of the Year +

Chris Wondolowski, Helltown Beer Major League Soccer Player of the Year. 2012.

I've rated Wondolowski as the best player in MLS due, in part, to the following reasons:

1. Chris played 92% of all available minutes for Supporters' Shield winner, San Jose Earthquakes. 1a. His 2012 aggregate goal total of 27 equals that of Roy Lassiter's 1996 league record.

2. Best in the league; Goals + Assists (22 G without 5 PKs + 7 A).

3. 2nd in MLS; Goals p90 minutes 0.70 (no PKs, >900 mins). 2nd only to teammate Alan Gordon.

4. 1st in SOG p90 (1.76), 3rd in total shots p90 (42.6% on frame).

5. Within the parameters of my player rating model - Chris floated to number one on April 23, 2012 and never let it go.

Chris was the leader of a San Jose team that adopted the "Goonies never say die" mantra this year. Head Coach Frank Yallop has successfully brought a English style of soccer to MLS and Wondo, with his savviness around the goal and exceptional movement, has really benefited from it. San Jose scored 2.12 goals per game this year, a solid third goal above the next best in the league.

One of the more memorable moments for me this year was when John Terry, possibly the best English defender in a generation - complimented Wondo when he faced him during the 2012 MLS All-Star game (around the 17:40 min mark of that link).

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Last year's winner was Todd Dunivant, LA Galaxy. Todd finished 53rd on my list this year, missing 17% of possible minutes due to injury early on. It's notable that without both Dunivant and Gonzalez early in the year the Galaxy struggled. After finding themselves near the bottom of the table for the first quarter of the year, LA managed to finish the season 8th overall and 4th in the West. Due, in large part, to Todd Dunivant getting healthy.

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HELLTOWN MLS BEST XI
This is all based on the player rating model I created at the beginning of the 2011 season. If you have questions you can email me: ljbaby654@gmail.com

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Jimmy Nielsen, SKC

TOP MLS DEFENDERS
Steven Beitashour, SJE
Justin Morrow, SJE
Brandon McDonald, DCU
Matt Besler, SKC

TOP MLS MIDFIELDERS
Kei Kamara, SKC
Graham Zusi, SKC
Eddie Gaven, CREW
Dax McCarty, NYR

TOP FORWARDS
Chris Wondolowski, SJE
Fredy Montero, SEA

(My other top players can be found on the right)

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Note: Positions are as classified by "Stats, Inc".

Crew Player of the Year

Josh Williams. Helltown Beer Player of the Year, 2012.

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Photographer: Alex West

Cleveland Works Blast Furnace, Cleveland ∞

This is a typical night at the Cleveland Works C-5 blast furnace. Locomotives below switch bottle cars filled with molten steel, while the locomotive above works a line of coke cars. The stack emits a bluish flame as it burns off sulfur. These are multiple infrastructures — locomotive, power, coal, and steel — all merged into one location.

Player Photo: International Soccer Network

Best Team Ever + That 2011 MVP

It could be argued that the 1998 Galaxy are the best MLS team the devoted have ever seen. Best PPG (2.19), an astonishing MLS best 2.66 goals p/GM (Cobi Jones, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Hurtado the beast). They also sport the best goal difference in league history... 1.28. No team even comes close to that.

This got me thinking though. How close are the 2011 LA Galaxy to Major League Soccer Immortality >>? David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Juninho, Robbie Keane. All "superstars".

<< or as immortal as MLS teams get >>

The 2011 Galaxy are pretty close. They currently stand on 2.03 points per game. A win in their last game gets them to 2nd best PPG in league history, hopscotching a strong Miami team in 2001*. *I'll go ahead and do the asterisk here. 2001 was a good year for a lot of MLS teams. Read up. Dark days, my friend.

The Bruce Arena 2011 Galaxy team is nowhere near the top in Goals For (96th in league history, 1.42 per), but his goals against is a historic 0.76. 2nd best in MLS history. The best? Last years Real Salt Lake. Yeah, that team that erased part of the MLS can't play stigma across the Americas.

So. Who are the masked men that rule the back line on this years Galaxy team?

Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzales, AJ DeLaGarza and Sean Franklin. All four of those guys are rated in my top 20.

Taking into account one of the best Team Points p/GM averages in history and 2nd best GA avg in MLS history... I'm going to go ahead and present the following:

HELLTOWN BEER Major League Soccer Player of the Year

Todd Dunivant.

Congratulations buddy.