So what does the data say? As you’d expect, as with everything in MLS since 2017, it’s all about Atlanta. Atlanta has won the fan vote 10 times out of the 40 weeks in the data set, winning the GotW11 times (remember Roldan getting robbed?) in their 13 nominations. They have been only eclipsed in nominations by offensive juggernaut LAFC, with 16 nominations, who have somehow only managed to win once. Colorado, mired in a years long slump has only managed 3 nominations, less than expansion side FC Cincinnati. No team even comes close to Atlanta’s GotW vote win percentage of 77% (85% with the Barco victory). Salt Lake, surprisingly, is the closest at 57%, including one win over Atlanta’s machine (Albert Rusnak at 30,880 over Josef Martinez at 30,271), which caused much consternation amongst a subset of Atlanta fans.

In weeks where an Atlanta player is nominated, an average of 30,000 votes are cast compared to 9,500 when no Atlanta player is nominated (Seattle is 21,000/14,300). Atlanta’s ballot stuffing is clear comparing votes for their players compared to the rest of the league. Their average of 18,000 votes per eligible week is 10,000 higher than the next highest, again unexpectedly, Real Salt Lake. Seattle’s formerly dominant legion of keyboard troops has been relegated to third, perhaps after deciding, rightly, that fan votes for these types of awards are essentially worthless popularity contests and their time is better spent doing things like analyzing this data rather than voting on it. Pulling up the rear in voting is, somehow, a team from our country’s largest city, an extremely offline New York City FC. When nominated, players from NYCFC only average 257 votes, half of the second to last vote getter, San Jose.