Age: 22
Position: Attacking Midfielder
2021 League Games: 21 appearances, 11 starts, 985 minutes played
2021 Postseason: 4 games, 4 starts, 369 minutes played
What went right in 2021:
New York City FC signed Santiago Rodríguez from sister club Montevideo City Torque on June 9, but it took another two months for the attacking midfielder to find a place in the starting lineup. Once he did, he harassed the opposition with his blistering pace and technical abilities—not only did he link up with Maxi Moralez and Taty Castellanos in the attack, he created space for his teammates by running at defenders and forcing them to stretch their lines.