MLS Player Value

Total MLS Market Value uses a single value to define a player's prior year performance and calculates the market rate for that value by looking at the guaranteed compensation of all players. The player performance uses minutes played on the pitch and the Castrol Index, the official performance index of the MLS. We multiply minutes by the Castrol Index to create a Gross Total Value for each player. This value summarizes each player's season in one number. We then we look at how much 1 point of Gross Total Value a team on average costs a team above the MLS minimum salary. Because there are different market rates for defenders, midfielders, forwards and goalkeepers, we come up with 4 different scalars.

There are some very highly paid forwards in the MLS that skew the forwards value for the entire league. We removed the 6 forwards who make more than $1M and all played for a major European league before joining the MLS. The result is the star adjusted market value for forwards at $0.25. One quick analytical note: Goalkeepers are paid the least amount for the value they create.

We then look at each players minutes, Castrol Index and position and calculate their MLS Market Value for the 2013 season. This can certainly be refined and we will continue to refine it over time, but it should work as a reasonable assessment of market value for MLS players.