Starts: 10
Minutes: 880
Age: 28
Key Stat: His 10 starts and 880 minutes played were the lowest numbers he put up since joining the First Team in 2019
When Keaton Parks plays, he can be counted on to be one of the better midfielders on the field. Big Bird is one of the most underrated players in Major League Soccer, a towering but still technical box-to-box midfielder who calmly absorbs pressure and distributes the ball cleanly.
Unfortunately, we'll never know how the 2025 season could have unfolded for Parks. The 28-year-old made just 10 starts this year, playing in only 14 games total – that's the fewest number of appearances Parks has made since he fought his way onto the First Team in 2019 under Domé Torrent. The midfielder was hampered by what was first thought to be a foot injury, but that was later determined to be a complication relating to the blood flow issues that sidelined him in 2021 and 2022.
Keaton made his last appearance for the team in May, then underwent surgery in July. He looked to be back in training during the postseason, giving hope to his return next year. But the fact remains that a player who established himself as an essential starter for New York City FC was mostly absent in 2025, making this easily the most frustrating year in the Texan's playing career.
A strong start, a season cut short
First, the good news. Keaton's three goal involvements (one goal, two assists) compare favorably to his previous years at NYCFC: He had four goal involvements in 2024, four in 2023, two in 2022, five in 2021, three in 2020, and two in 2019. Considering that Parks only saw 880 minutes total in 2025, and played for about one-third of the season, it's not unreasonable to guess that he could have put up career-best numbers this year.
But the fact remains that Keaton's season was cut short.
