Beau Leroux: MLS’s Best Rookie | OneFootball

Though his path to the San Jose Earthquakes wasn’t exactly straightforward, Beau Leroux has made an immediate impact with his hometown club throughout his rookie season.

Beau Leroux is the best young player you know nothing about.

The 22-year-old midfielder has crash-landed onto the MLS scene and quickly captivated the Bay Area, earning a starting spot under Bruce Arena with the San Jose Earthquakes. When Arena trusted him from the very first match of his tenure, it was clear that the league’s most decorated coach saw something special. If that isn’t enough reason to pay attention, we caught up with Leroux to help you get to know precisely who the San Jose native really is.

Beau Leroux and DeJuan Jones during Earthquakes training. Image credit: Dario Cruz

Throughout his rookie season, Leroux has been a mainstay in Arena’s ‘Quakes. With four goals and four assists in 28 league appearances, he’s been a regular contributor for the new-look squad, which is currently in the thick of the playoff hunt with five matches remaining.

While Leroux is not technically a homegrown player — he was cut from the Earthquakes Academy — he is San Jose through and through.

Leroux grew up attending Earthquakes games, and after being let go from his hometown academy, he had to commute two hours a day to play elsewhere, before eventually joining the college ranks with San Jose State.

Ironically, the ‘Quakes ended up drafting him in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, and he spent the season with The Town FC, the Earthquakes’ MLS Next Pro team. In 2025, he’d earn his chance to play for the first team under the new Arena regime.

All this to say — his path to success was far from linear.

“I would grow up coming to (Earthquakes) games, watching them, and be like, ‘I can see myself on this team,’” Leroux said.”That’s what I wanted to do from a very young age. So I’m just glad I stuck to it and that it’s all worked out.”

Leroux grew up in a sports loving family, and he was named after another famous athlete, Bo Jackson. He’s even adopted Jackson’s famous saying, albeit in his own spelling, “Beau knows.” Jackson is also the reason Leroux wears the number 34, as he revealed to David Gass and Tom Bogert earlier this year on Soccerwise.

Leroux has been in contention for Young Player of the Season, and if MLS had a Rookie of the Year award, it would be an easy win. No other rookie has performed in big moments like Leroux, and he is in the upper echelon of goal contributions among first-year players, both in quantity and style.

His first MLS goal was something of a lucky strike, but it was dramatic nonetheless.

“It was a deflection but I mean, fortunate that it went in,” Leroux said. “I was waiting for it, I was looking at it, and it just dropped in and right when it hit the back of the net and I heard the fans — it was just awesome, it was crazy, and I felt the whole team’s love that I finally got my first goal.”

With the ROTY award not existing, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Diego Luna, Leroux’s former Earthquakes Academy teammate, is the heavy favorite to win MLS’s Young Player of the Year award for the second straight season. With his charisma and national team experience, the Real Salt Lake star has broken out as one of, if not the most talented Americans in all of MLS.

Many around the league believe there should be a true Rookie of the Year award for breakouts in MLS, as Luna has been around the league for a while but still qualifies under the age threshold for the Young Player of the Year award.

While it may be frustrating for other young players hoping to win, Leroux had nothing but love for Luna.

“I have so much respect for him as a player,” Leroux said. “We were teammates in the past. I’m just happy for him. I’m sure he’s happy for me, too.”

Even though he’s competing with Luna for the award, Leroux already has plans to work out with the Moonman in the offseason, just like old times.

Leroux also understands that Asian-American soccer players are not the status quo, so representing that demographic is something he holds dear.

🔗 Instagram

With the way Leroux’s career is panning out, there could be a day when he sees a national team call-up. Fans and podcasters are already trying to drum up interest for the 22-year-old. With Arena’s ties to the United States men’s national team, Leroux is one phone call away from potentially representing the USMNT.

However, the decision on which team to represent still lingers, as he is also eligible to play for the Chinese national team through his mother.

“I mean, obviously, I’m open to anything, but my heart wants to play for the U.S.,” Leroux said. “I have a lot of love for this country. So it’s always been a dream of mine to play for this country.”

Leroux’s rise from a kid in the stands at PayPal Park to an everyday starter is more than just a feel-good story, it’s proof that setbacks don’t define careers, tenacity does. He embodies the dream that every academy kid in MLS chases, only he lived the detours, the doubt, and the grind to get here. Now at 22, he is not just playing for his home city — he’s playing for every young player who has ever been told they weren’t good enough.

And while his journey is still being written, one truth already stands out: Beau Leroux isn’t just a promising midfielder for the ‘Quakes. He’s a symbol of where American soccer is headed — more diverse, more determined, and more fearless than ever.

—

Follow Favian Renkel on X and Instagram.