NEW YORK – Major League Soccer Wednesday announced the creation of the MLS Young Player of the Year award, an honor that will recognize the top young player in the league age 22 and under at the end of each season.

Beginning this season, the young player of the year award replaces the rookie of the year award, which honored the top first-year pro player in league.

Voting for 2020 End of Year Awards including Young Player of the Year will run from Thursday through Nov. 9 with finalists to be announced Nov. 11.

The young player of the year award will celebrate the rising stars within the league.

Any player who meets the age requirement, whether it be a Homegrown Player developed in MLS academies, an MLS SuperDraft pick, or a young player who arrived in the league via the international transfer market will be eligible for the award. For 2020, any player born on or after Jan.1, 1998 is eligible, while players born on or before Dec. 31, 1997 are ineligible.

The end of year awards will be determined through voting between Oct. 29-Nov. 9 from three groups:

* Current MLS players

* MLS clubs (Coaches, technical directors/general managers)

* Select media members representing local and national outlets who consistently covered the MLS regular season

CLICK HERE for a full list of nominees for each award.

MLS will honor the top stars and moments with the following awards in 2020:

2020 MLS End of Year Awards
MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi
Landon Donovan MLS MVP
MLS Best XI built by The Home Depot
AT&T MLS Young Player of the Year
Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
MLS Defender of the Year
MLS Comeback Player of the Year
MLS Newcomer of the Year
AT&T MLS Goal of the Year
MLS Save of the Year presented by Allstate
MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year
Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
MLS Referee of the Year
MLS Assistant Referee of the Year
MLS Fair Play Award – Individual & Team

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.