Six weekends up, six weekends down: The 2025 Major League Soccer season is running at full tilt.

So far, we’ve seen plenty of surprises, from Philadelphia’s goalscoring prowess to Vancouver’s solid defense. But which players have outperformed expectations?

Here are five breakout stars in MLS: 

Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter | Vancouver Whitecaps

Vancouver (4-1-1) is the surprise of the 2025 MLS season, and Berhalter, son of Chicago Fire coach Gregg Berhalter, is a big reason why. He looks reborn under new coach Jesper Sorensen and is settling into his starting role in Vancouver’s central midfield.

Berhalter’s partnership with Paraguayan midfielder Andres Cubas is working splendidly. Their control in the center of the park has led to Vancouver allowing the fewest shots on goal in the league.