STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford alumnus and Real Salt Lake forward Corey Baird was named 2018 AT&T MLS Rookie of the Year on Monday.
Baird beat Philadelphia Union defender Mark McKenzie and Orlando City SC forward Chris Mueller to win the award and become the second Cardinal in the past three seasons to be named the league's top rookie. Jordan Morris was voted MLS Rookie of the Year in 2016. Baird is the third Stanford alumnus to earn one of Major League Soccer's major postseason awards, joining Morris and three-time MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall.
Baird won in a landslide, receiving 40 percent of the player votes and 44 percent overall, which included votes from media members and club personnel.
Baird scored eight goals and added five assists in 31 appearances, helping lead Real Salt Lake to the teams most points since 2014.
Baird made his MLS debut off the bench in RSL's third game of the season before scoring his first goal in his second appearance, also off the bench, in a loss to Toronto FC. The performances earned Baird his first MLS start the following game, a win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
The 22-year-old was tied for third on the team in goals and tied for fifth in assists, a key contributor in his first professional season.
Baird, who signed a Homegrown Player contract with RSL in early January, was a key catalyst that powered the Cardinal to three consecutive national championships, four straight Pac-12 titles and a 65-10-13 overall record (.813) during his four seasons on The Farm.
He tallied 16 goals in 83 career appearances to go along with 30 assists, tied with Roger Levesque for third in program history. Baird's 13 assists during Stanford's first championship run in 2015 were the most for a Cardinal player in 24 years. He had a career-high six goals as a senior despite missing five early-season matches due to injury and assisted on seven others.
A four-time All-Pac-12 selection, Baird was a first teamer as a junior and senior and second teamer as a freshman and sophomore. He was named to the College Cup All-Tournament teams in both 2015 and 2016 and last year earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region first team. He was a NSCAA All-Far West Region second team performer in 2014 and was also a freshman All-American according to Soccer America and College Soccer News.
