In other sports, Derrick Jones would be firmly in the early conversation for the Rookie of the Year race for his performance in his first three starts. In Major League Soccer as a second-year pro, he isn’t eligible for the award Keegan Rosenberry was beat out for last season.
Unlike Major League Baseball, which gives the award in each league to the player who hasn’t exceeded a minimum number of at-bats or innings pitched at the highest level, Major League Soccer only considers first-year pros for the award.
For the Philadelphia Union, that means draft picks like Jack Elliott, Marcus Epps and Aaron Jones are eligible, but not Derrick Jones or fellow homegrown Auston Trusty, who have both played professionally for Bethlehem Steel FC.