MLS Power Rankings: Columbus Crew the East beast, but FC Cincy a fraud | OneFootball

Welcome to the Eastern Conference halfway-ish rankings of the MLS 2025 season based on PIRlo and xStandings.

PIRlo (Player Index Rating locator) is an all-encompassing rating system for players utilizing over 50 stable metrics in the three key phases of the game: attacking, defending, and passing. xStandings takes those player ratings and boils them down into an overall team score. The team score is based only on players who play 30 minutes per match for all the club's matches, so in this ranking only the players with 630 or more league minutes played post Matchday 21 are involved in a team xStandings score.

The clubs are ranked 1-15 by their xStandings score. The larger the difference between a team's xStandings and their conference position lets us know whether they are overachieving or underachieving based on what the players' ratings are telling xStandings. This is explained in the Buy/ Sell/ Hold section of each team's analysis.

Each team's conference position is determined by their points per match instead of their current standings in the conference table, as the Club World Cup has some teams playing four fewer matches than their counterparts.

Lastly, you will see the PIRlo 300+ and Honorable Mention sections related to the players. We have found a direct correlation to the number of 300+ player PIRlo ratings on a team to the winning percentage of a team. Basically, the more 300+ players you have in a squad, the higher you sit in the league table. For reference, there was one player in MLS in 2024 that scored a 400+ PIRlo rating (Riqui Puig) and typically, across all leagues in the world, a 300+ PIRlo rating will put a player in the top 8-10% of all players in that league.

Note: Data from Wednesday night's two MLS matches not included.

On to the rankings!

1) Columbus Crew

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 1 (269.96)Conference Position: 5Points Per Match: 1.81Goal Difference: +7

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 4

Moreira (#4 Overall MLS, 345.78 Rating), Arfsten (#7, 338.71), Chambost (#25, 302.25), Zawadzki (#27, 301.24)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 4

Farsi (#31, 298.92), Rossi (#34, 296.11), Amundsen (#40, 289.79), Cheberko (#44, 283.93)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Buy. In the strongest sense. This is your favorite to lift the MLS Cup.

Notes:

Superior recruitment and attention to squad building make this consistently competitive club the class of MLS. In terms of well-run organizations, Columbus shines every year.

2) Inter Miami

CF Montreal v Inter Miami CF | Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 2 (251.23)Conference Position: 4Points Per Match: 1.88Goal Difference: +12

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 2

Messi (#1, 419.42), Alba (#28, 301.01)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 1

Segovia (#47, 283.19)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Buy. They may be top heavy but they boast the current MVP of MLS (Messi).

Notes:

Last season’s runaway regular season xStandings top club returns to the group of hopeful MLS Cup contenders. There’s a big gap between them and Columbus at the top, and while anything can happen in a playoff series, Miami currently looks second-best in the East.

3) Nashville SC

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 3 (238.64)Conference Position: 2Points Per Match: 1.88Goal Difference: +14

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 2

Mukhtar (#6, 340.78), Najar (#8, 332.92)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 0

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Hold. The system sees them as the 3rd best team in the East but they are closer to 6th in xStandings than 2nd.

Notes:

Bunched in a grouping of 3rd to 7th in the East standings. While Mukthar’s return to form is delightful, they need reinforcements to make serious playoff noise.

4) Orlando City

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 4 (232.44)Conference Position: 6Points Per Match: 1.62Goal Difference: +11

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 2

Ojeda (#12, 320.87), Atuesta (#17, 312.30)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 3

Freeman (#30, 299.39), Pašalić (#32, 298.39), Muriel (#46, 283.25)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Buy. Between the xStandings ranking, the overall quality of the roster, and the Goal Difference, this is a team on the rise.

Notes:

The system sees a lot of quality. A couple of intriguing purchases in the summer window and this is a very dangerous team come playoff time. If you’re looking for a longshot team to come out of the East, xStandings likes Orlando City.

5) Philadelphia Union

Toronto FC v Philadelphia Union | Mark Blinch/GettyImages

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 5 (228.59)Conference Position: 3Points Per Match: 1.90Goal Difference: +14

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 1

Wagner (#15, 314.49)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 1

Q. Sullivan (#45, 283.49)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Sell. The Goal Difference and xStandings tell vastly different stories. Expect regression.

Notes:

This is a club without many standout players. When we see this, overperformance is typically due to outstanding goalkeeping or managerial tactics. If they continue to punch above their weight, those are the likely reasons.

6) New York City FC

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 6 (225.48)Conference Position: 7Points Per Match: 1.55Goal Difference: +5

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 1

Parks (#19, 309.88)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 1

Fernández (#48, 282.50)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Hold. Every metric is telling us who this club is- a mid table team in the East.

Notes:

If we were to write out the MLS dictionary definition of mid-table conference club in terms of talent and on-field success in 2025, NYCFC would have their picture in said dictionary.

7) New York Red Bulls

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 7 (224.57)Conference Position: 8Points Per Match: 1.43Goal Difference: +8

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 0

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 1

Eile (#52, 281.57)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Hold. Exactly where they should be in the table. Devoid of high end talent.

Notes:

Everything that was written about NYCFC above can be copied and pasted to NYRB. Outside of Eile, this isn’t an inspiring player pool.

8) Charlotte FC

Philadelphia Union v Charlotte FC | Drew Hallowell/GettyImages

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 8 (222.58)Conference Position: 11Points Per Match: 1.24Goal Difference: -2

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 0

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 1

Zaha (#41, 288.54)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Buy. While not holding out hope the club markedly improves, they do have enough mid-level talent to sneak into the playoffs.

Notes:

Zaha ranks as the 41st best player in MLS. Outside of that, this isn’t an electric group. There’s enough in the tank for Charlotte to make a push for the last Eastern playoff spot. With the news that Patrick Agyemang is off to England and Charlotte has opened a DP slot, things could get interesting in the run-in for Charlotte.

9) New England

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 9 (216.67)Conference Position: 10Points Per Match: 1.26Goal Difference: +2

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 1

Carles Gil (#2, 387.96)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 0

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Hold. They are exactly who they’ve been over the first 21 weeks.

Notes:

On the positive side, life is better when Carles Gil is in this kind of scintillating form. On the negative side, Gil is completely propping up a fairly weak roster. He should need ample rest for his back this offseason after carrying this club for 7 months.

10) Atlanta United

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 10 (215.8)Conference Position: 13Points Per Match: .90Goal Difference: -15

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 0

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 1

Lennon (#39, 290.58)

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Sell. While xStandings likes this team more than it has performed, there’s no overlooking that brutal Goal Differential.

Notes:

This is a club in need of a reboot. The talent pool isn’t there, and this is a club whose past shows that it is capable of being a force within MLS. Their recent talent decisions have been confusing.

11) Chicago Fire

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 11 (213.38)Conference Position: 9Points Per Match: 1.4Goal Difference: +3

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 1

B. Gutiérrez (#21, 306.84)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 0

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Hold. The Goal Differential is propped up by the 7-1 thrashing they gave DC United, and even though the future is bright in Chicago, there’s still a fair amount of work to do in 2025 to make this a playoff team. The fact that they are bunched with the 2 clubs above them means if they can go on a hot streak, the back end of the playoff picture can be in view.

Notes:

The scouting and recruitment is some of the best in MLS, so there’s a good amount of optimism that this club can turn itself into a top 5 side in the East very soon.

12) FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati v Chicago Fire FC | Jeff Dean/GettyImages

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 12 (213.38)Conference Position: 1Points Per Match: 2Goal Difference: +6

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 2

Evander (#16, 313.23), Orellano (#22, 306.27)

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 0

Buy/ Sell/ Hold: Sell. This club is massively overperforming every metric and a regression is in order.

Notes:

Break out the pitchforks, Cincy fans. I get it, matches aren’t played on spreadsheets. How can a team in first position in the East be ranked #12 in the East by xStandings? No, the computer doesn’t have an anti-Skyline Chili bias (although it definitely should). So why would the system dislike Cincy so much? It has real problems with the CB pairings and in the middle of the pitch. Because we are over halfway through the season and since Cincy has banked the points already, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Nati stay in the top three for the rest of the season. And having Evander covers up a lot of problems, but this team is a data mirage.

13) CF Montreal

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 0

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 0

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Buy. Buying as in, buy some actually good players instead of trying to do everything on the cheap.

Notes:

CF Montreal’s highest ranked player, per PIRlo, is #99 in the league, solidly the worst ranking for a team's best player in MLS. Outside of George Campbell’s rising star, there isn’t much to pay attention to, unfortunately.

14) Toronto FC

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 14 (194.91)Conference Position: 14Points Per Match: .85Goal Difference: -5

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 0

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 0

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Hold. The necessary rebuild has begun.

Notes:

There have been quite a few missteps in Toronto over the past few years, with recruitment and development seemingly out of step with each other. With the buying out of the Italian duo and their massive salaries, the full-scale rebuild has begun. The league is much healthier with a good team in Toronto.

15) D.C. United

PIRlo Conference xStanding: 15 (185.57)Conference Position: 12Points Per Match: .90Goal Difference: -22

PIRlo 300+ Rated Players: 0

PIRlo Honorable Mention Players (280-299 Rating): 0

Buy/ Sell/ Hold:

Sell. Their current 12th-place standing is a mirage. Benteke and Herrera keep this roster’s talent above Montreal's, but just barely.

Notes:

This once-proud franchise has been a mess for years. There is no piece of data that suggests a turnaround in form anytime soon. This seems to be the MLS’ version of the adage of “when you’re in a hole, the first thing to do is quit digging.” D.C. really needs to pick a lane: either bite the bullet and rebuild fully from the ground up or attempt to spend their way out of the problem, development be damned.