Over the last few years, analytics in MLS has been turned on its head. Whereas ten years ago if a team had one person “doing analytics” it was a big deal. Now, questions are asked if a club doesn’t and it is not uncommon for clubs to have multiple people on staff. The Tiers of MLS Analytics are now based upon the number of full time analytics staff members a club employs.

Former ASA Contributor Kevin Minkus, now Director of Analytics for Chicago Fire, wrote Soccer Analytics 101 over at MLSsoccer.com where he defined analytics as “using data and statistics to better understand something.” For the purposes of deciding what MLS teams have an analytics staff member the “something” is player recruitment and tactical analysis. We’re talking about using numbers and mathematical models (e.g. xG, xA, g+) to help evaluate transfer targets and team and player performance.

The starting point here is math, not video, although video and the eye test will always be an important step in the process. We’re defining this as separate from sports science, where data and statistics are used to mainly evaluate a team’s own players’ physical performance, things like training loads and injury prevention. Furthermore, it is different from business analytics where data and statistics are used to drive more monetary value for a club, but is not focused on the sporting side even though they may contribute there as well.

There is no doubt that MLS staff members wear multiple hats. Just because you have the job title of “data analyst” doesn’t mean you won’t be recruited to film a training session, break down video, or drive new players to Canada to get a visa. Similarly, a sports scientist, video analyst, or performance analyst may spend part of their time looking at statistics or even coding. But there is a difference between using analytics as part of your job and analytics being your job, and for this we will be counting the latter.

Based upon public knowledge and some private communications, and knowing full well that anyone outside a club can’t really know what is going on inside, here are the tiers of MLS analytics and what we know about each team in 2024:

Tier 0: Nerd Boss. If you appoint a General Manager/Sporting Director from an analytics background you end up in tier 0. Them's the rules. DC United was formerly here with General Manager Lucy Rushton, but Colorado is currently the only member of this tier.

Colorado Rapids: Colorado’s Sporting Director is Fran Taylor, who was previously profiled on this site and worked at analytics pioneer StatDNA (exclusively owned by Arsenal). The club has three full-time data staffers focused on recruitment: Matt Pfeffer continues to lead the team as Director of Analytics, Liam Creedon is their Analytics Engineer, and Karan Juneja is their Data Scientist. This is the club’s second year in Tier 0, officially the longest in the Tier’s short history, and Colorado is well-known to prioritize data when making decisions.

San Diego FC: San Diego, more specifically Right to Dream, made a splash by hiring former US Soccer Director of Sportin Analytics and Monaco Head of Sporting Technology & Insights Tyler Heaps as their Group Head of Recruitment & Insights Chief Soccer Officer [this was reported by Tom Bogert a couple hours following publication of this article]. San Diego FC has multiple job listings for analytics positions.

Tier 1: It takes a village to raise an expected goal. These are MLS clubs that have at least two full time analytics staff members, an actual department. Since we started using this system in 2022 the number of teams in this tier has increased from 11 to 16 (plus 2 in Tier 0).

Atlanta United: American Soccer Analysis alumnus Arjun Balaraman was hired as Atlanta’s data scientist following Lucy Rushton’s move to DC. American Soccer Analysis Patreon Discord member Akshay Easwaran is Atlanta’s Data Engineer. President and CEO Garth Lagerwey also revealed that Atlanta is using Sarah Rudd’s SRC FTBL as an analytics consultancy.

Charlotte FC: Lisandro Isei recently announced he was departing his role as Head of Analytics and Technical Scouting. Daniel Wicker, the former proprietor of Mint City Analytics, tweeted and blogged himself into a job with Charlotte FC as Data Analyst. Additionally Charles William was brought on as a Data Scientist (go read his article on uncertainty in possession value models). Charlotte also utilizes two data scouts, Chaka Simbeye and Philipp Hollenhorst. Thomas Schaling and Vincent van Raam in Charlotte’s recruitment department also have familiarity with data.

Chicago Fire: ASA contributor, 2018 US Soccer Hackathon champion, Chicago native, and SpongeBob SquarePants aficionado Kevin Minkus is the Fire’s Director of Analytics. The Fire have Software Engineers Rob Madden and David Portugal as well as Data Analyst Gavin Greenberg in Chicago as well as analytics staff at sister club Lugano in Switzerland.

Columbus Crew: Alex Mysiw is Director of Analytics for the 2023 MLS Cup winners and holds a masters in bioinformatics and has been on staff since 2016. Dustin Kadri is the Crew’s Soccer Systems Analyst (Software Developer). Manager of Player Personnel, Marshall Bushnell, also works closely with data. The Crew also have Villanova professor Bret Myers as an analytics consultant.

D.C. United: Former Nashville SC Data Analyst and Orlando SC Director of Analytics, Caleb Shreve was hired as Assistant General Manager by new DC GM Ally Mackay. Shreve became the second primarily analytics focused Assistant GM in MLS after Colorado’s (now promoted) Fran Taylor. Shreve wasted no time staffing up, hiring Kevin O’Donnell as Data Scientist, Prateek Senapati as Data Science Consultant, and Eamon Dunlavey as Soccer Strategy Manager. DC is also looking for a Data Engineer .

Los Angeles FC: LAFC have Data Analysts, Scott Burrola and Darian Ignatius on staff.

Nashville SC: One of Nashville’s first front office hirings was Oliver Miller-Farrel from the data provider Opta, who was recently promoted to Assistant General Manager, the third analytics staffer in this position after Taylor and Shreve. Nashville also employs Data Scientist Addison Wood and Software Developer Austin Wills.

New England Revolution: Will Johnson and Simon Fisher are New England’s Data Analysts. Additionally, Director of Data and Video Analytics, Todd Kingston, joined the Revs from Opta. Revs President Brian Bilello is also an ASA fan.

New York City FC: NYCFC is able to tap into the City Football Group analytics group including Lead AI Scientist Laurie Shaw. Shaw holds a PhD in Astrophysics, was a lecturer at Harvard, and was one of the leaders of The Friends of Tracking project in 2020. Locally Clark Thompson is NYCFC’s Football Insights Analyst after previously holding the same position at fellow CFG club Girona.

New York Red Bulls: RBNY’s analytics team is led by ASA alumnus and Data Science & Analytics Manager Sam Goldberg, who has a growing role within the club. Will Orser is the club’s Data Scientist. Like their cross-state rivals, RBNY can also tap into their global club network of analytics staff.

Orlando City: After the departure of Caleb Shreve to DC, Grant Rhines was promoted to Manager of Insights and Analytics. The department includes Data Engineer Pranav Nagarajan.

Philadelphia Union: Dean Costalas is Director of Soccer Analysis for the Union, Addison Hunsicker is their Senior Data Analyst, and Craig Gerard is Junior Data Analyst. What the Union are doing in the analytics space is shrouded in mystery, but Head Coach Jim Curtin must be listening to them.

San Jose Earthquakes: San Jose’s analytics is led by Senior Director of Analytics, Grant Wenzinger. Aditya Nag and Benjamin Wong, formerly of the Miami Marlins, round out the analytics department as strategist and Data Engineering Manager, respectively. Lucy Rowland, left the Quakes and has founded a data consultancy, Boot Up Analytics, focusing on women’s soccer.

Seattle Sounders: Director of Analytics, Tyler Cox, returned home to Seattle after years working with Arsenal to pick up the baton left by Ravi Ramineni. The Sounders also employ Software Engineer Kyle Beck.

Toronto FC: After leading Toronto’s analytics in the TAM era, Devin Pleuler was promoted to Senior Director of Research and Development for Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment. While Pleuler still works with TFC his responsibilities include MLSE’s other teams including the Maple Leafs, Raptors, and Argonauts. Arthur Casupanan is Strategy & Roster Compliance. Kaustabh Kapoor is Analytics Manager and Alex Dodgshon is Scouting and Analytics Coach.

Vancouver Whitecaps: The Whitecaps have one of the larger analytics set-ups in soccer operations and performance. Senior Director of Analytics, Insights, and Research Johann Windt leads the analytics team. Former DC United Data Scientist Blake Parry returned to Vancouver as Scouting Coordinator. Their sports science data team includes Bryce Chevallier, Elise Chourrout, and Luke Peddie.

Tier 2: One is the loneliest number. These are the clubs that have one full time analytics staff member, regardless of how well regarded this single person is or how many interns the team may have. Other staff members may also help out with analytics work, but it is not their primary responsibility.

Austin FC: Hayden Van Brewer, formerly of Fleetwood Town and FC Cincinnati, is Austin’s Manager of Data and Analytics by Austin FC. Austin’s Sports Scientist, Kyle Voigt, is also involved in the analytics setup.

FC Cincinnati: Perfect Skyline eater Spencer Niehaus is FC Cincy’s Data Analyst.

Houston Dynamo: While last year Houston landed in Tier 2 despite not having a dedicated analytics staffer due to their hiring of ASA contributor Carlon Carpenter and their collaboration with SRC FTBL. This year they legitimately make it into Tier 2 with the hiring of Ethan Creagar from SRC as Data Scientist for the club.

Inter Miami: Sam Gregory left Miami to become Director of Analytics at US Soccer. Jordyn Kaplan is their Data Scientist.

Minnesota United: After years of having no analytics staff, Minnesota hired Lucas Wiley as Scouting and Data Analytics Coordinator. We have also heard that Minnesota is working with at least one group of anonymous soccer analytics consultants.

Real Salt Lake: Joe Thomas, Lead Analyst for Team Operations & Recruitment, leads RSL’s analytics setup.

Tier 3: We have a very important analytic, and that’s the score. These clubs do not have an analytics staffer listed on their club site or is otherwise unknown. These clubs may use contractors or farm out their data recruitment and/or tactical analysis to analytics companies (e.g. StatsBomb, 21st Club, SciSports, SmarterScout, etc.), or prefer to keep their in-house staff hidden for some reason. The number of teams in this tier is dwindling, down to 6 from 13 in 2020. However, the final 6 have pretty stubbornly refused to hire analytics staff since at least 2021. If you are a member of the front office of any of these clubs and need some pointers, get in touch.

FC Dallas: Former head coach Nico Estévez worked with Gregg Berhalter in Columbus and with the USMNT, he likely is well aware of analytics but never hired a full time analysts. The club also parted ways with their Data Consultant Arman Kafai in the offseason.

LA Galaxy: Greg Vanney said that “...we’re still trying to build on the data and analytics side” and that “There should always be an analytics and sports science department, and that work should stay at the club no matter what.“ in an interview with The Athletic. Perhaps General Manager, Will Kuntz, will finally lead the charge in building the analytics side for the Galaxy. The Galaxy had a job ad up for an analytics role which does not appear to have been filled.

CF Montréal: According to MLS back in 2020, Assistant Sporting Director Vassili Cremanzidis heads up analytics for Montreal. Thing is, he left for San Jose, so now there is no one left in Montreal. However, head coach Laurent Courtois was a serial re-tweeter of GameFlows during his time as head coach of Columbus Crew 2, so perhaps there is some hope.

Portland Timbers: Portland Timbers do not currently have a data analyst. When in college, one-time ASA contributor Brendan Kent served as their data analyst.

Sporting Kansas City: Peter Vermes is an “analytics guru.”

St. Louis City: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (for the fourth straight year)