Player Awards: Who’s the 2016 Revolution MVP?

In late October, Revolution fans and media nominated Kelyn Rowe as the club’s 2016 MVP. While flashing Ryan-Guy-like versatility, Rowe established himself as a weekly starter, contributing five goals and seven assists.

Did Rowe deserve the honor? We re-open the polls for our final player award of 2016. Cast your vote for team MVP below.

1. Lee Nguyen

2016 stat line: 33 appearances (33 starts), 6 goals, 10 assists, 29 shots on goal

Nguyen may never match his 18-goal 2014 campaign that ended in a shout for the MLS MVP award. But since then, Nguyen has turned in a pair of highly effective (albeit less impressive) campaigns.

In 2016, he finished third in MLS with 83 chances created, ranked 11th in MLS with 10 assists and made a career-high 33 starts, more than any Revolution player. May represented his strongest month of the season, when he strung together three consecutive matches with both a goal and an assist. If he can combine with Kei Kamara more regularly, he’ll be in for another statistical rise in 2017.

2. Kelyn Rowe

2016 stat line: 33 appearances (32 starts), 5 goals, 7 assists, 25 shots on goal

Rowe, a candidate for our “Unsung Hero” award, flew under the MLS radar in 2016 despite turning in the most consistent season of his career. Not only did he make 32 starts—his most ever by six matches, and the second most on the team—Rowe featured at every position except goalkeeper and center back. This versatility proved vital with starters Chris Tierney and Gershon Koffie missing a combined 22 starts.

Offensively, Rowe constantly looked creative moving forward, collecting more assists than any Revolution player not named Lee Nguyen. His season highlight arrived on September 17, when he scored a goal and added two assists in a 3-1 win over the Montreal Impact. Rowe ultimately earned 2016 Team MVP honors from Revolution fans and media. Was he deserving?

3. Juan Agudelo

2016 stat line: 24 appearances (14 starts), 7 goals, 5 assists, 18 shots on goal

After struggling to stay healthy during the early stages of 2016, Agudelo recovered to turn in his most productive Revolution season to date. His seven goals helped him earn the Revs’ Golden Boot award, and his five assists represented a career high.

To strengthen his resume, Agudelo accomplished all of this in just 14 starts. His play down the stretch—four goals and three assists in the Revs’ final seven matches—helped his club stay alive in the playoff hunt, a pursuit that seemed out of reach during a six-game winless streak that ran through the end of August. The former teenage star appears to have finally found his form in Foxboro.

4. Andrew Farrell

2016 state line: 33 appearances (32 starts), 2,891 minutes, 1 assist

No Revolution player has matched Farrell’s consistency over the past four seasons. In 2016, he anchored an injury-riddled defensive unit with 32 starts, logging a career-high 2,891 minutes in a season split between right back and center back. He ultimately earned a much-deserved spot on the 2016 MLS All-Star team, playing 45 minutes against Premier League side Arsenal.

Fast, durable and built like a bulldog, Farrell has developed into a top-tier MLS defender, though he’ll need help from his defensive ‘mates if the Revs want to improve on a -10 goal differential from last season.