John Tolkin has another fantastic year for RBNY and led all American U21s with nine goal contributions from the full-back position — pretty impressive. He also led all American U21s in G+ and Fotmob Rating, showing that he contributes to the squad in many ways. He is a set piece weapon who contributed a lot from set plays.

Brian Gutierrez also had a fantastic season, tied with Tolkin for the most assists by any American U21 with six. Gutierrez will head into his last U21 season in 2024 and will look to take home the top spot.

Chris Brady sat at the top of these rankings for the majority of the year and by all accounts had one of the best U19 seasons for a goalkeeper in the history of MLS. He was a little out of form towards the end of the year which caused him to dip to third place. If he stays with Chicago, he'll be a favorite to earn the top spot next year.

Caleb Wiley was one of the top American U21  goal contributors this year with seven, splitting his time between left-wing and left-back. His underlying metrics were not great, but he passed the eye test and was solid for Atlanta all year. He'll head into next season as a full-time left-back and will look to be a little more consistent for Atlanta.

Daniel Edelman quietly had a very good season this year and not many people talked about it because he does a lot of the dirty work that does not get a lot of attention. He finished with almost 2,000 minutes and had a decent G+ rating.

Jake Davis is one of the surprise stories for the 2023 season. He never really earned a big role in prior seasons, but he took advantage of some injuries at right-back and become a decent starter for SKC.

Jack McGlynn is always well liked by the nerds and once again he finished with one of the top G+ ratings for American U21s. He became more of a consistent starter towards the end of the season and will be a key contributor in the playoffs. With Bedoya leaving Philly, does McGlynn stick around another year to be a full-time starter or does he move to Europe in January?

Noel Buck was one of the breakthrough players of the 2023 season. He played all over for New England Revolution and finished the season with three goals. There is a ton of interest in England, will he be around next year to build on his breakout season?

Benja Cremaschi was another breakout player this year and solidified himself as a starter for what is not a very talented Inter Miami squad. Cremaschi finished with six goal contributions during the regular season and earned his first USMNT cap. Cremaschi will be back next year where Miami look to take the league by storm.

Owen Wolff was one of the most steady contributors this year, earning a ton of starts and showing positional flexibility. There have been some rumors floating around about his prospects in Europe, but I think another year starting in Austin will serve him well.

Ted Ku-DiPietro didn't get as many minutes as some others on this list, but he made the most of the opportunities he did receive. He finished the year with a fantastic goal + assists per 90 and his expected numbers were very good as well. He should go into next season as a full-time starter as looks to earn a spot on the 2024 Olympic squad.

Cade Cowell had a disappointing season, there is no way around it. Three goal contributions just isn't enough from an attacking player with the minutes that he received. He was a bit unlucky — his expected goals and assists totals were twice what he actually delivered. The problem is that he isn't improving in the areas that he needs to on the wing. I've long thought that a change of scenery is needed. He's been rumored to Europe for what's felt like the last couple of seasons. Does it finally happen in January or do the numbers scare off potential suitors?

Jalen Neal was on track to have a top five, if not top three finish on this list until a core injury during the Gold Cup finished his season. Neal was excellent at a very young age for a center-back in MLS. He should be back next year as a full-time starter and if he can stay fit he will be another contender for the top spot in 2024.

Diego Luna had one of the best second halves of the season as any American U21. It took him a while to earn a prominent role with Real Salt Lake, but after a fantastic U20 World Cup, be carried over that momentum to his club. He finished the season tied for second with the most goals of any American U21, with five.

Noah Allen started the year slow as he worked through an injury, but came on strong as the left-back position encountered other injuries in second half of the season. Allen showed that he belongs in MLS at a young age and should play a key role for IMCF next year, even with aging legend Jordi Alba in the mix, there should be minutes to go around.

Obed Vargas had a quiet, but solid season for Seattle. He was an off and on starter and consistent player off of the bench. His numbers are not breathtaking, but he is the youngest players that made the top 20 and has a bright future.

Bode Hidalgo was a pleasant surprise in that he earned a prominent role with Real Salt Lake for the majority of the season. He wasn't spectacular, but he provided stability at right-back.

Josh Atencio split time as a starter with previously mentioned Obed Vargas. He graduates from this list next and will look to become a more consistent starter going forward.

Bernard Kamungo and Tyler Wolff both fall into the category of "did a lot with little opportunities". Kamungo led all American U21s with six goals and he did that in just 500 league minutes. He wasn't just getting lucky either, his expected numbers were fantastic as well. It was a small sample size, but given what Kamungo accomplished, you have to think he will get a more prominent role with Dallas next year and he might have earned himself a spot on the USMNT domestic camp roster in January.

Tyler Wolff was also highly productive in his limited time with five goals and an assist in just under 650 minutes. Wolff's never had a clear cut position, but what is clear is that he has a nose for goal, a trait that will always get you time on the pitch.