2022 MLS Next Pro season

The 2022 MLS Next Pro season was the inaugural season of MLS Next Pro, the reserve league of Major League Soccer. It is the first season since 2014 where MLS had a standalone reserve league, the previous season being the MLS Reserve League. Including both MLS Next Pro and the MLS Reserve League, it is the ninth season of a reserve league operated by MLS. The league is sanctioned as a third division league by U.S. Soccer.

A total of 21 clubs, 20 MLS reserve teams and one independent team (Rochester New York FC) participated in the 2022 season. The regular season began on March 25 and was concluded on September 18, 2022.

Columbus Crew 2 defeated St. Louis City SC 2 4–1 in the inaugural MLS Next Pro Cup final on October 8.

Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All teams use Adidas as universal kit manufacturer.

Regular season
The regular season will feature 24 matches in a mostly regionalized schedule. Teams will play two or three games against teams in their conference. Only four matches total will be played between teams in opposite conferences. Each conference will be divided into divisions of five or six teams for scheduling.

Hat-tricks
(H) – Home team (A) – Away team 4 – Scored 4 goals
 * Notes

Playoffs
There was an eight-team playoff, where the top finisher in each division qualified, along with the next two top finishers in each conference. Seeding within each conference was based on conference standings, regardless of being division champions.

Qualifying teams

 * Eastern Conference
 * Columbus Crew 2 - Central Division Winner
 * Toronto FC II - Northeast Division Winner
 * Philadelphia Union II - Conference Wild Card #1
 * Rochester New York FC - Conference Wild Card #2


 * Western Conference
 * St. Louis City SC 2 - Frontier Division Winner
 * Tacoma Defiance - Pacific Division Winner
 * Houston Dynamo 2 - Conference Wild Card #1
 * North Texas SC - Conference Wild Card #2

2022 MLS Next Pro Cup
Most Valuable Player: Marco Micaletto (Columbus Crew 2)