By the numbers: Comparing Bair's first season to other MLS Homegrown attackers

Whitecaps FC Homegrown attacker Theo Bair had a solid debut MLS season for the 'Caps, playing 824 minutes in the league while registering two goals and two assists.


The young Canadian will be looking to progress and improve those numbers in his second season. But how did his first-year production compare to other Homegrown contributors of past MLS years?


Below is a list of Homegrown attacking players in their first seasons playing extended minutes (min. 600), sorted by goals and assists per 90 minutes.

<strong>Year</strong>
<strong>Name</strong>
<strong>Age</strong>
<strong>Team</strong>
<strong>GP</strong>
<strong>GS</strong>
<strong>Mins</strong>
<strong>G</strong>
<strong>A</strong>
<strong>G+A/90</strong>
<strong>SH</strong>
<strong>SOG</strong>
2017
Anthony Jackson-Hamel
23/24
MTL
21
11
1,137
9
4
1.03
32
14
2018
Sebastian Saucedo
21
RSL
28
10
1,031
3
5
0.70
46
23
2018
Corey Baird
22
RSL
31
21
1,903
8
5
0.61
39
20
2011
Juan Agudelo
18
NYRB
27
12
1,364
6
2
0.53
44
17
2014
Harry Shipp
22
CHI
33
26
2,346
7
6
0.50
40
16
2016
Jordan Morris
21/22
SEA
34
32
2,856
12
4
0.50
71
36
2012
Diego Fagundez
17
NE
20
8
770
2
2
0.47
18
9
2016
Alex Muyl
20/21
NYRB
27
18
1,599
2
6
0.45
30
12
<em><strong>2019</strong></em>
<em><strong>Theo Bair</strong></em>
<em><strong>19/20</strong></em>
<em><strong>VAN</strong></em>
<em><strong>17</strong></em>
<em><strong>10</strong></em>
<em><strong>824</strong></em>
<em><strong>2</strong></em>
<em><strong>2</strong></em>
<em><strong>0.44</strong></em>
<em><strong>12</strong></em>
<em><strong>7</strong></em>
2016
Jordan Hamilton
19/20
TOR
14
11
911
3
1
0.40
20
12
2014
Dillon Serna
19/20
COL
27
18
1,623
3
4
0.39
39
14
2017
Jack McBean
22
LAG
18
8
715
2
1
0.38
9
4
2017
Daniel Salloi
20/21
SKC
22
12
1,172
3
2
0.38
42
19
2017
Djordje Mihailovic
18
CHI
17
7
732
1
2
0.37
8
1
2017
Bradford Jamieson IV
20/21
LAG
24
11
984
3
1
0.37
8
3
2013
Gyasi Zardes
21/22
LAG
27
23
2,170
4
4
0.33
78
23
2013
Jonathan Osorio
20/21
TOR
28
18
1,697
5
1
0.32
28
8
2010
Andy Najar
16/17
DC
26
22
1,983
5
1
0.27
36
13
2017
Derrick Etienne
20
NYRB
18
8
702
0
2
0.26
13
6
2015
Jordan Allen
19/20
RSL
23
11
1,083
1
2
0.25
13
7
2013
Jose Villareal
19/20
LAG
22
12
1,109
2
1
0.24
37
12
2016
Jay Chapman
22
TOR
18
9
780
0
2
0.23
12
5
2018
Memo Rodriguez
22
HOU
19
6
645
1
0
0.14
12
2
2017
Alphonso Davies
16
VAN
26
9
1,053
0
1
0.09
15
2
2016
Tommy Thompson
20/21
SJ
17
9
825
0
0
0.00
12
5

How did they fare the following season?


The results have varied greatly. Some players, like former ‘Caps winger Alphonso Davies, took a big step forward in their offensive production. Others remained steady, and some battled adversity as they moved through the early phase of their career. A number of factors obviously come into play, including age and maturity, personal development, competition for places, role, injuries, team performance, and the amount of rotation within that team's schedule.


Below is each player's follow-up season, sorted by minutes.

<strong>Year</strong>
<strong>Name</strong>
<strong>Age</strong>
<strong>Team</strong>
<strong>GP</strong>
<strong>GS</strong>
<strong>Mins</strong>
<strong>G</strong>
<strong>A</strong>
<strong>G+A/90</strong>
<strong>SH</strong>
<strong>SOG</strong>
2015
Harry Shipp
23
CHI
33
29
2,571
3
8
0.39
53
19
2011
Andy Najar
17/18
DC
31
28
2,522
5
6
0.39
57
20
2013
Diego Fagundez
18
NE
31
28
2,427
13
7
0.74
55
29
2018
Alphonso Davies
17
VAN
31
27
2,420
8
11
0.71
37
15
2014
Gyasi Zardes
22/23
LAG
32
26
2,392
16
2
0.68
74
30
2018
Daniel Salloi
21/22
SKC
29
26
2,291
11
7
0.71
78
31
2018
Corey Baird
23
RSL
31
23
2,104
5
4
0.38
31
14
2014
Jonathan Osorio
21/22
TOR
27
24
2,039
3
4
0.31
17
6
2017
Alex Muyl
21/22
NYRB
30
21
1,938
3
4
0.33
36
14
2017
Jordan Morris
22/23
SEA
23
22
1,801
3
1
0.20
34
14
2012
Juan Agudelo
19
<p>NYRB/Chivas USA</p>
24
17
1,570
3
3
0.34
44
16
2017
Tommy Thompson
21/22
SJ
32
16
1,534
1
4
0.29
42
12
2019
Memo Rodriguez
23
HOU
26
16
1,392
7
5
0.78
47
20
2019
Sebastina Saucedo
22
RSL
26
13
1,189
2
4
0.45
41
15
2016
Jordan Allen
20/21
RSL
23
11
1,099
3
2
0.41
15
8
2018
Jack McBean
23
COL
22
13
1,060
2
1
0.25
20
9
2018
Derrick Etienne
21
NYRB
30
9
961
5
1
0.56
35
17
2015
Dillon Serna
20/21
COL
15
8
680
3
1
0.53
13
7
2018
Djordje Mihailovic
19
CHI
9
8
582
1
4
0.77
9
2
2018
Anthony Jackson-Hamel
24/25
MTL
16
6
580
2
0
0.31
14
8
2017
Jay Chapman
23
TOR
12
3
385
1
0
0.23
6
1
2018
Bradford Jamieson IV
21/22
LA
6
3
271
0
0
0.00
1
0
2017
Jordan Hamilton
20/21
TOR
8
0
142
2
1
1.90
5
3
2014
Jose Villareal
20/21
LAG
5
0
19
0
0
0.00
0
0

Bair certainly wasn't the only Homegrown to feature in 2019. Below are several of his attack-minded peers who jumped into the fray this year.

<strong>Name</strong>
<strong>Age</strong>
<strong>Team</strong>
<strong>GP</strong>
<strong>GS</strong>
<strong>Mins</strong>
<strong>G</strong>
<strong>A</strong>
<strong>G+A/90</strong>
<strong>SH</strong>
<strong>SOG</strong>
Omir Fernandez
20
NYRB
18
3
568
2
2
0.63
12
6
Benji Michel
21/22
ORL
17
9
943
5
1
0.57
11
9
Efrain Alvarez
16/17
LAG
14
4
518
0
3
0.52
12
5
Jesus Ferreira
18
DAL
33
29
2,453
8
6
0.51
59
22
<em><strong>Theo Bair</strong></em>
<em><strong>19/20</strong></em>
<em><strong>VAN</strong></em>
<em><strong>17</strong></em>
<em><strong>10</strong></em>
<em><strong>824</strong></em>
<em><strong>2</strong></em>
<em><strong>2</strong></em>
<em><strong>0.44</strong></em>
<em><strong>12</strong></em>
<em><strong>7</strong></em>
Gianluca Busio
16/17
SKC
22
10
923
3
1
0.39
27
11
Cole Bassett
17/18
COL
20
14
1,063
2
2
0.34
13
7
Paxton Pomykal
19
DAL
25
20
1,876
2
5
0.34
28
10
Brendan Aaronson
18/19
PHI
28
25
1,722
3
2
0.26
34
9
Jacob Shaffelburg
19
TOR
10
8
672
0
1
0.13
11
4

How will this next wave of MLS Homegrowns progress in their follow-up seasons? Stay tuned to find out.