Jacob Bartlett

Sporting Kansas City signed midfielder Jacob Bartlett as a Homegrown Player ahead of the 2025 campaign. Bartlett is the 22nd Homegrown Player to emerge from the Sporting KC Academy. Bartlett climbed the youth ranks in the SKC Academy, competing at the U-12 through U-19 levels, and represented Sporting KC II as an amateur player during the 2023 and 2024 MLS NEXT Pro seasons.

PROFESSIONAL

Sporting KC II (2023-2024):

Bartlett trained extensively with Sporting’s first team in 2023 and 2024, including extended preseason stints with the MLS club. He signed his first amateur contract with Sporting KC II in early 2023 and earned his MLS NEXT Pro debut that April with a start in central defense against FC Cincinnati 2. The 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign saw Bartlett log seven consecutive 90-minute outings from March to April, helping the team go 4-2-1 during that stretch while playing as a holding midfielder, center back and right back. He tallied his first assist for the team in a 4-1 home win over MNUFC2 on April 28.

ACADEMY

Bartlett joined the Sporting KC Academy as an 11-year-old in 2017 after playing for affiliate club SPORTING Blue Valley and training in the Center of Excellence. He was part of the Sporting KC U-14 team that won the 2019 LA Galaxy Cup and placed second at the 2020 US Youth Futsal National Championships. Bartlett ascended to the U-15, U-17 and U-19 squads as a standout performer over the next three years, helping the U-19s to a 2023 UPSL regular season division title in addition to competing at marquee events including the Generation adidas Cup and MLS NEXT Fest.

COLLEGE

Ahead of the 2024 college soccer season, TopDrawerSoccer tabbed Bartlett a top-50 prospect nationally and the No. 2 player in the Heartland Region. In his debut season with Notre Dame, Bartlett played in 16 of the team’s 17 games, making nine starts, and opened his scoring account with a sensational left-footed strike in a 2-1 victory at Louisville on Sept. 6.

PERSONAL

Bartlett comes from an accomplished soccer family as the third sibling to reach the professional ranks. Alec Bartlett, his oldest brother, played for the USL’s Charlotte Independence in 2016. Lucas Bartlett, his other brother, has been in MLS since 2022 with spells at FC Dallas (2022), St. Louis (2023) and D.C. United (2024-present). His sister, Grace Bartlett, plays collegiately at Grand Canyon University.

Off the field, Bartlett has volunteered with multiple charities and organizations benefiting underserved communities, including TurnStyles, Uplift and Nelnet Community Engagement.