Open Extended ReactionsIt has been 18 years since MLS introduced the designated player (DP) rule. He was named MVP and then MLS Cup MVP as Atlanta reigned supreme in its second season. Diego Valeri | Portland TimbersThough most of MLS' best designated players were big-name, expensive signings, Valeri joined the Timbers from Lanús as a midfielder who washed out in Europe with just three international appearances, but he hit the ground running. The Argentine led the league in assists in his first season, earning the first of three MLS Best XI honors. He won MVP in 2017 and was named MLS Cup MVP when Portland captured its first title in 2015.