2025 MLS Preseason- Top Five Fullbacks in MLS

The full back position has evolved a lot over the last few years. It has turned more into the outside midfield roles back when the 4-4-2 was all the rage. Fullbacks are asked to play very much like a RM or LM in tracking up and down the field non stop. This is more the case with teams playing with three center backs, but it makes quantifying the position much harder. In teams that play with 4 at the back, they play like a traditional fullback. 

But that’s my problem, not yours. So enough complaining and let's get right down to the good stuff.  

We have a few caveats before we begin. In 2024, Federico Bernadeschi was the best wingback in the league. However, going into 2025, Toronto head coach Robin Fraser says that he plans to play Bernardeschi further up the pitch. Presumably, in his preferred right winger role. So for that reason, it doesn’t make sense to keep him on the full back list. If he had, he would have taken the top spot.

Same with Jake Davis. While he started his career at the right back position and rose into top 5 contention, he moved into midfield last season with Sporting KC and never looked back. Locking down the position as his own for the foreseeable future. Which, I for one, am incredibly excited to see.

A few guys who missed the cut, I am team Brooks Lennon. I love the guy and love watching him play. I hope he comes back strong after his shoulder surgery. Sergi Palencia was in and out of this list. But the biggest snub from last seasons performance was Aaron Herrera. He was incredible last year and not having him on here feels wrong. Both Herrera and Palencia had a shout at the five spot and you could probably talk me into either one of them going there. The breeze just happened to blow me this way at the time of writing. 

****Important note, I am going to quote some statistics and say, “so and so was in the 80th percentile.” Here's what that means, it's where they rank in that category when comparing them to their peers. For MLS, the stats are compared to other players in the “Next 14 competitions.” The next 14 competitions do not take into account the players in the: Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Champions League, and Europa League. So basically we are comparing them to all the players not in the top 5 leagues. But the next 14 leagues, such as MLS, English Championship, Liga MX, Primera Division, etc. 

#5) Tim Ream- Charlotte FC

Tim Ream at the five spot was a tough choice. I feel like I could look like a real idiot here and he could make a case for the top spot after this season. While he was with Charlotte he was in the 98th percentile in passes completed, but that is coupled with 92nd percentile in progressive passes. Here's what that means, he wasn’t passing the ball back and forth pointlessly between the center back. He was looking to move the ball forward and was very successful at doing so. 

He was also in the 90th and 94th percentile in blocks and clearances respectively. So not only was he contributing to the attack, he was elite at stopping shots and getting the team out of danger. The only reason he isn’t higher on the list is the small sample size of 9 games played. However, he made a career out of this type of play with Fulham. So to see him do it all season long and vault to the top of the list next year wouldn’t shock me. 

#4 Ryan Hollingshead

Ryan Hollingshead may be one of the most versatile players in the entire league. Ryan came up through FC Dallas as a winger and transitioned to a fullback role while at LAFC. He has quickly turned into one of the most offensively threatening defenders in the league. He has an incredible knack for being at the right place at the right time and scoring important goals for an MLS Cup contending team.

Looking at his comparison to his peers Hollingshead has no real weaknesses, he is above average at absolutely everything. His interceptions are at an elite level clocking in at 1.63 per game, putting him in the 94th percentile. That puts him at tops in the league. (Jake Davis was technically higher, but his move to central midfield midway through the 2024 campaign no doubt inflated those numbers). 

Hollingshead is in reality a manager's dream. He’s not going to make any costly mistakes and is equally good going forward as he is defending. Being able to have a player who is a first name on the team sheet type and is above average at everything is huge. Being able to craft a game plan knowing that he will be equally good going forward as he is locking down his own 3rd, there is not a manager in the world that doesn’t fantasize about that. 

#3 Kai Wagner- Philadelphia Union

For much of the last few seasons of Kai Wagner’s time in MLS, it seemed like he would be gone at any second. He was just seemingly too good for MLS. Rumors linked him to the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, etc. However a move never materialized, even after becoming a free agent, and he ended up resigning with the Philadelphia Union long term. This was not the news the right wingers and right backs in the Eastern Conference wanted to hear.

Kai Wagner’s passing and set piece delivery is elite. You could argue he’d be the best set piece delivery specialist in the Eastern Conference if it weren’t for some guy down in Miami. And not only is it his set piece delivery, but its his passing in general. Some of the deeper analytics on American Soccer Analysis show that his passing was nearly twice as good as the next best fullback (Aaron Herrera) and nearly four times as good as the third best full back (Jordi Alba). 

The only thing keeping him from being higher on the list is his defensive play. While it is not poor, many of the stats point to him being an average to slightly above average defender. However, his use of fouling at the right time to interrupt attacks is among the best in the league. And if you’ve ever seen him play, he is nearly unmatched at trying to get in the opponent's head and trash talking. Something that is incredibly skillset to any squad and that analytics doesn’t have a way to place a value on

#2 Joseph Rosales- Minnesota United

For anyone who is not an MLS sicko or a Minnesota United fan, this might be the first time you are hearing this name. But Joseph Rosales might be the best defensive fullback in the MLS. Last season he led the league with 127 combined tackles and interceptions. Of those 127, 53 were interceptions, which ranked him second in the league. And of his 74 tackles, 45 of them were in his own defensive third (over 60%). Not only does he anticipate the game incredibly well and cut off passes, but when his team is under attack he has an incredible ability to stop the opponent and win back the ball. 

But he’s not just elite defensively, he’s in the 96th percentile in assists and 97th percentile in shot creating actions. Take that with his progressive carries (97%) and successful take ons (91%), and you have a true threat up and down the left side. As good as the 24 year old is, it’s hard to believe that he will continue to grace the league with his incredible skill for much longer. 

#1 Luca Orellano- FC Cincinnati

When Luca Orellano came to MLS in 2024 from Vasco de Gama in Argentina, not many people knew his name or what to expect. Well Luca quickly set them straight. Luca Orellano set the league on fire. With multiple goals from midfield, including one from his own half, and his electric play, Luca quickly became must see TV. He was deployed all over the field, fullback, winger, and even the #10 spot. But, Pat Noonan typically deployed him outside in the wing back spot.

His speed and ball control are incredible. I spoke to one left back after he was tasked to defend against Orellano the whole game. His quote was, “I have never played against anyone who was that fast and had that much ball control at the same time.’” And yes, this was a man who has also played and defended Messi, multiple times. Orellano was in the 99 percentile in touches, progressive carries, non penalty expected goals, etc. And he was in the 98% in shot creating actions. Which all of that can be translated as follows: Luca Orellano was offensively ELITE.

However, he can definitely improve. He was in the 1% in interceptions and his tackling wasn’t much better. Surprisingly, his passing was also quite below average. Often hurting his team more than helping it. That said, some of the defending numbers are to be expected as he came to the league as a winger and was converted to a fullback. However, if he can improve his passing and show some occasional interest in playing defense, I can easily see some of the top clubs in Europe knocking down Cincinnati's door to bring him across the pond.