Union have more players than any other team on MLS’s 22 Under 22 list. Cavan Sullivan isn’t one of them.

The younger Sullivan, who already has a future transfer deal in place with Manchester City, appeared in just 10 matches for the Union this season.

Quinn Sullivan (left) headlines the list of three Union players on Major League Soccer's 22 under 22 list. His brother, 16-year-old Cavan (right) did not make the cut. Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

by Owen Hewitt

Published Oct. 8, 2025, 3:45 p.m. ET

Three Union players landed on Major League Soccer’s 22 Under 22 rankings, which were released Wednesday. Quinn Sullivan, Olwethu Makhanya and Frankie Westfield made the cut on the list of MLS’s best young talent, as voted on by league coaches, general managers, sporting directors, and members of the media.

The Union have more players on the 22 Under 22 list this year than any other MLS team. Sullivan and Westfield both came through the Union’s academy, while Makhanya signed with the team in 2023 out of his native South Africa.

Notably, Cavan Sullivan, the Union’s 16-year-old midfielder and Quinn’s younger brother, was absent from the rankings. The younger Sullivan, who already has a future transfer deal in place with Manchester City, has appeared in just 10 matches for the Union this season.

Quinn Sullivan, 21, earned the highest ranking of the three Union players on the list, coming in at No. 6. The midfielder was an important piece for the Union, logging 11 goal contributions before suffering a torn ACL in a win against D.C. United in September. He also picked up experience with the U.S. men’s national team during the summer international window, making Mauricio Pochettino’s Concacaf Gold Cup squad.

Makhanya was No. 13 in the rankings. The 21-year-old has become a regular piece of Bradley Carnell’s lineup, often pairing with Jakob Glesnes as center backs. Makhanya has started 26 of the Union’s 33 games this season.

Consistent playing time has allowed Makhanya to have an unexpected breakout season in the Union’s back line , which, statistically, is among the best in the league. The Union have conceded 33 goals in 33 regular-season games, good for the best goals-against average in MLS.

Westfield, who has also been a breakout star on defense, is No. 18. The 19-year-old defender is one of five teenagers to make the rankings this year.

Westfield came up through Union II, joining the senior team as a homegrown player in February. He has made 21 starts for the Union this season, primarily at right back. Westfield is getting international team experience, playing for the U.S under-20 national team at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

Seattle’s Obed Vargas topped the list as MLS’s best player under the age of 22. The 20-year-old midfielder is the first Mexican national to earn the top spot in the youth rankings since their inception in 2010.

After claiming the Supporters’ Shield on Saturday, the Union will play at Charlotte FC in their final regular-season match on Oct. 18 (6 p.m., Apple TV+).