The new MLS season starts this weekend, once again aiming to provide a viable platform for the new wave of top domestic talent.
MORE: 41-50 | 31-40 | 21-30 | 1-10
TDS continues the countdown of the Top 50 prospects to watch out for this new season and beyond. Check out the full list of players and the criteria for it. The latest round features young talent who broke out in 2025 looking to show consistency.
Articles will be released every day this week counting down the list from 50 through the first overall prospect.
20. Stuart Hawkins – CB – Seattle Sounders
DOB: 9/18/2006 | HT: 6-3 | WT: 146 | Last Year’s Ranking: 12
Entering his third full season as part of the first-team roster, Hawkins remains a depth player at the back for the Sounders. He remains a player with great tools and the ability to make it work in MLS; however, it will be interesting to see if he gets a chance this season. Playing young center backs is always a tough road to navigate. Entering the preseason with an injury (or one that he has picked up along the way) makes it even more difficult. The size and tools are there, but perhaps starting out as an anchor with Tacoma Defiance could be the way forward in the first half of 2026.
