On September 16, 2017, James Sands made his Major League Soccer debut for New York City FC. The 17-year-old midfielder, who was the club's first Homegrown signing, came on for the final 17 minutes on Matchday 29, a 1-1 draw with Colorado Rapids, after spending the previous two games on the bench. It was the only First Team appearance he made that year. Sands went on to start three games in 2018, when he logged 223 minutes, but he didn't become a regular in the XI until 2019, when the 19-year-old made 19 appearances for the club.
Jump to February 22, 2025, when Jonny Shore made his MLS debut for New York City. The 17-year-old midfielder, who was the club's 12th Homegrown signing, came on at the half and helped NYCFC earn a point on the road in a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami on Matchday 1. Shore was an unused substitute the next game, but he has gone on to appear in every one of New York City's subsequent matches.
Shore, who turned 18 last month, now has 6 starts in 9 appearances after 10 games, with a clean 600 minutes logged. That's a staggering amount of playing time when you consider that more than two-thirds of the season remains. Joe Scally played a total of 70 minutes in his debut season, Justin Haak played just six. Shore's avalanche of appearances are unprecedented for a Homegrown at New York City, a club that usually eases the young players they develop into the First Team.
We're still at the front end of this season, but Shore's total minutes in his debut year already eclipses not just those of Sands, Haak, and Scally, but other Homegrowns such as Christian McFarlane (368 minutes over 10 appearances), and Tayvon Gray (375 minutes over 18 appearances). The only one that Shore trails is Andres Jasson, who logged 676 minutes in 2021, when the 19-year-old made 20 appearances and 6 starts over the course of the 34-game season. But if Shore starts and plays most of the game this coming Sunday, he'll overtake him with 23 games left to play in 2025.
New York City FC | Homegrown Debut Seasons
| Player | Year | Age | Apps | Starts | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andres Jasson | 2021 | 19 | 20 | 6 | 676 |
| Jonny Shore* | 2025 | 17 | 9 | 6 | 600 |
| Tayvon Gray | 2021 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 375 |
| Christian McFarlane | 2024 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 368 |
| Joe Scally | 2020 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 70 |
| James Sands | 2017 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 23 |
| Máximo Carrizo* | 2025 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| Seymour Reid* | 2025 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| Justin Haak | 2019 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
* Through 10 games
Teenage starters
Looking at the table above, it's clear that Shore's ascendance to First Team regular doesn't replicate the pattern of other Homegrowns. Instead, it follows those of high-profile teenage signings made by the club over the years.
Shore's path is less like that of Gray's, who made his 2021 debut in Matchday 2 when he came on as a late sub but didn't make a second appearance until Matchday 9 almost two months later, than that of Mitja Ilenič's, who made his debut at age 18 when he went the full 90' on Matchday 9, then made 15 appearances in the following 18 games in all competitions. Looking at the table below, you can see how NYCFC has been comfortable playing select non-Homegrown teenagers over the years.
