2023 MLS Golden Boot race: Bouanga in front with Acosta, Giakoumakis and Hernandez not far behind

The 2023 MLS season is finally underway and with it, the race for the Golden Boot is underway.

One of the most exciting parts of any campaign in Major League Soccer is the Golden Boot race. With top-heavy spending geared towards bringing in premium attacking talent, the battle to be top scorer is always unpredictable.

In recent years, the likes of Josef Martinez and Carlos Vela have set remarkable goalscoring records to bring home the coveted award. And just last year, Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar took the prize, hitting the net 23 times during the regular season.

After the season's halfway mark, Mukhtar leads the way and may go back-to-back, while plenty of others are not far off from challenging for the award.

Check back here throughout the 2023 MLS campaign for the full Golden Boot standings:

2023 Golden Boot standings

Players with the same number of goals scored are separated by least minutes played.