Homegrown Player Spotlight: Reed Baker-Whiting continues upward trajectory within Sounders organization

The Homegrown Player Spotlight series, in partnership with American Family Insurance, celebrates young local Seattle athletes who dream of taking their soccer aspirations to new heights. Through dedication, community support and the Sounders’ Development Pathway, players like Reed Baker-Whiting, turn that pursuit into reality before making their way to the First Team.

Baker-Whiting’s journey with the Sounders began at the young age of 11 with the Discovery Program. Nine years later, the Seattle local is living out his aspirations of playing for his boyhood club.

“It's been something I'm really grateful for,” said Baker-Whiting. “I love Seattle. I love the team. It's a place that I've lived, and every away trip makes me want to stay in Seattle more.”

Baker-Whiting’s potential was clear in the Sounders Academy and Tacoma Defiance, having initially signed a Homegrown contract as a teenager in 2021. Since then, he’s made the most of his opportunity at the First Team level with his ability to impact both ends of the pitch as an outside back, or up a line on the wing.

Support, encouragement and resources are key ingredients to achieving any goal. Baker-Whiting credits his experience in the Sounders Pathway for preparing him to reach this level. He points out Assistant Coach Andy Rose, specifically, as someone who helped him find his footing in the First Team environment.

“I've worked a lot with Andy, who's helped me change positions, become a defender and learn ,” said Baker-Whiting. “So he's been really instrumental in this process.”

In addition to his physical attributes, Baker-Whiting has grown to possess the power and pace needed to take on and defend players 1v1 on the flanks while having the skill to produce dangerous crosses with the utilization of both his right and left foot.

“I think, the game today and where it's going, you need players who are incredibly versatile and can fill different roles and even within the same game being asked to do different things, different positions,” said Rose. “So, he's a player who is really exciting for a coach to have on the roster.”

Baker-Whiting’s ability and relentless hard work have always been a driving factor. His innate talent opened the door for him to be a part of the Sounders Development Pathway following his youth stint at Seattle United. But it’s the extra time he’s put in and his diligence in improving that ultimately led to his success in Major League Soccer.

That development on the pitch earned Baker-Whiting a new contract, extending his stay with club through the 2028 season with an option for 2029. And with everything that he has already achieved, his future is bright, with even more accomplishments ahead.

“Reed's done the work, he's obviously developed well, but we think he's got more to give, and that's what the contract signifies." said Chief Soccer Officer & General Manager Craig Waibel. “He's shown us quite a bit, but we think the upside is still a little bit untapped with him. We've had those conversations, so over the next couple years, we expect a pretty big jump.”

The 20-year-old has already made 79 appearances with the club across all-competitions, most notably being his 96-minute outing versus LAFC in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals and his showing in the team’s 2025 Leagues Cup title-winning match over Inter Miami. Despite facing injury setbacks, his influence on the pitch has earned him call-ups to the U.S. Youth National Team on several occasions, with his recent opportunity being a part of the U-20 2025 World Cup roster.

The expectation is for him to maintain this positive progression while staying healthy, continue to get stronger, take full advantage of his minutes when they come, and become more of a regular contributor. And from there, “the sky's the limit,” according to Rose.

“With his physical profile, there’s going to be, I'm sure, a lot of teams in Europe looking at him, and the more games he gets with youth national teams, there's going to be exciting things ahead for him,” added Rose. “So, [it’ll be about] keeping his feet on the ground and making sure he understands that when he's called upon here, he has to continue to produce really top performances.”

The Seattleite is more than ready to prove that he can accomplish exactly that as he looks to improve in his role as a two-way player.

“I've had really good attacking games, really good defensive games, [and] I think now just putting them together consistently, game in, game out is the final piece to that,” said Baker-Whiting. “So, I'm really excited to do that.”

Baker-Whiting’s story is a testament to the power of dreams. American Family Insurance is proud to stand with this Homegrown Player, celebrating the journey from hopeful beginnings to professional achievement.