Joel Waterman
ratings updated 20 Aug 2026
Profile
Season stats
Full career & schedule →Domestic-league season · Portland Timbers.
Also this season
Earlier this season at CF Montreal — Canadian Championship: 2 apps, 1g 0a, 180 min
Earlier this season at CF Montreal — Leagues Cup: 3 apps, 0g 0a, 166 min
The headline Season rating covers his time at Portland Timbers; availability counts only fixtures while in this squad.
Performance data · by competition
| Competition | Apps | G | A | Min | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Major League Soccerat Chicago Fire | 10 | 0 | 0 | 643 | 6.75 |
Scout report
J. Waterman is a 30-year-old central defender at Portland Timbers, enjoying a standout season — 1 goals and 0 assists in 16 appearances, a Season grade of 26, top 100% of Major League Soccer centre-backs. On long-term scout potential he's rated 25.2, ranking 430th of 481 in the Major League Soccer. An experienced operator, he has been a regular starter (76.9% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.92 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Waterman.
Judged on this season alone, Waterman graded 26 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 120th of 120 of the 120 centre-backs in the Major League Soccer, on 3 clean sheets and 2.924 defensive actions per 90.
Year-on-year, that's a clear step up on last season (Season 18 → 26). Over the 7 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2023/24.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 25, 104th of 120 of the 120 centre-backs in the Major League Soccer. At 30 Waterman is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 3.9 reflects that trajectory.
Past his 2023/24 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.
Output in context · Portland Timbers finished 11th of 15 · a lower-table side
2.92 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 3 clean sheets across 16 appearances. Doing that for a lower-table side (11th of 15) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 0 assists — a useful bonus from the back.
Strengths
- Availability. On the pitch for 76.9% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
Watch points
- Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.
Outlook
With a Rating of 25.2, Waterman carries the 104th-highest potential of the centre-backs in the Major League Soccer of 120, and he is posting that for a lower-table side (Portland Timbers finished 11th of 15) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.92 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1× now → 0.7× projected in three years).
Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.
Season statistics
Bars = where he ranks among centre-backs in the Major League Soccer with 600+ minutes this season.
Shooting
Passing
Possession
Defending
Yellow/red cards
Transfer news
No transfer news found for this player.
