The "good player on a bad team" tale is as old as sports itself. Barry Sanders spent a decade carrying forgettable Lions teams before retiring at 30. Ted Williams and Don Mattingly put up elite numbers on baseball clubs that accomplished little. St. Louis has its own versions of that story - Brett Hull never reached even a Western Conference Final in his ten seasons with the Blues. Football Cardinals greats like Dan Dierdorf played on teams that were consistently outmatched.
For going on 2 seasons now, Marcel Hartel has been the best player on a struggling St. Louis CITY side, but fans both here and around MLS should recognize the 30 year old German for what he is: one of the league's most underappreciated great players.
As CITY begin their overhaul of both the front office and roster, fans can only hope that Hartel is surrounded by other players that can help him achieve the type of turnaround success he had with other clubs in Germany. He played a key role in helpin Union Berlin win promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019. He then helped his new club, Arminia Bielefeld, win promotion the very next season. And in his final season in Germany before joining St. Louis CITY, he was a major part of a St. Pauli side that won promotion as well.
His arrival in St. Louis, however, hasn’t produced the same results. CITY missed the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025, and Hartel’s excellence has been easy for the rest of the league to overlook. CITY fans appreciate him, but the broader MLS audience still hasn’t fully caught up to what he is: a team-first star with elite technical skill and a willingness to work hard for his side in whatever role he's asked to play.
Hartel can do the dirty work in the midfield while providing the elite technical skill worthy of a Designated Player designation. His measurables against other Attacking Midfielders in MLS are extremely high, as shown in this Concept Scouting analysis:
He's been as good as advertised since coming to MLS. According to soccer journalist Manuel Veth, Columbus Crew were very close to signing Hartel earlier in 2024 before CITY completed the deal for him. Those in the know around the league were aware of his potential impact here before his arrival. Matthew Karagich, who hosted the 2.Bundesliga Podcast, said this about Hartel at the time:
While MLS insiders have been aware of Hartel's brilliance, the casual fan may not be - a byproduct of being stuck on poor CITY sides for the past two seasons. This past weekend, however, Hartel was front and center around the league due to his incredible Goal of the Week wonderstrike from 125 feet over an outstretched Matt Turner - a goal replayed not only nationally but around the world.
This goal, Hartel's 14th in MLS, served as a reminder that he is one of the most technically gifted players in the league, with a willingness to try things on the pitch that many are not. What makes Hartel so important to CITY, however, is his commitment to team play. In a recent St. Louis Magazine article on Hartel by Justin Horneker, Justin quotes CITY Head Coach Yoann Damet as saying Hartel "puts the team first every single day."
Hartel's durability has also been one of the biggest factors in his contribution to CITY in his time here - Hartel started all 34 MLS regular season matches last season with 3027 minutes played, and he has started and played every match this season except CITY's away trip to San Diego, which he missed due to the birth of his child.
Hopefully, CITY can surround Hartel with the type of complimentary pieces that can take advantage of his skillset. In looking at this Concept Scouting Percentile Ranks chart, one can see how Hartel's passing and expected assists (xA) is among the best in the league, but it hasn't equated to many goals this season due to CITY's poor success in finishing chances. Finding quality attacking options will be key for CITY in the upcoming summer transfer window.
In 2025, Hartel ranked 45th in Most Involved Player Rankings by One-Versus-One, just behind players like Luca Bombino and Alex Freeman and just ahead of Lionel Messi and Evander. As an attacking midfielder, he rated 13th in the league. This ranking measures how active a player is compared to others, demonstrating "impact through touches, passes, and overall game influence in controlling the tempo".
He may not get the league‑wide attention he deserves, but inside the locker room and inside Energizer Park, the picture is clear. Marcel Hartel is one of the best midfielders in MLS. CITY’s challenge now is to build a roster worthy of him. St. Louis fans deserve that, and more importantly, Hartel deserves it as a testament to his effort, consistency, and elite ability.
