If 2016 was his breakout, could 2017 be his blockbuster?
Defender Jimmy Medranda burst onto the scene last year, becoming a regular starter for the first time in his young career while adding flair to a Sporting Kansas City side that wound up in the playoffs for a sixth straight MLS campaign.
The diminutive Colombian, still just 22 years old, now enters his fifth season in Kansas City with hopes of taking yet another big step in his progression as a player. Manager Peter Vermes is bullish on Medranda doing just that in 2017 — and from a variety of spots on the pitch.