With the conclusion of MLP Las Vegas, we now have five of the twelve MLP Premier teams which have finished their 23 match schedule. The six playoff teams are all but locked in, although the exact seeding for the playoffs is still to be determined. The six teams out of playoff contention can now look examine what went right/wrong in 2024, and look ahead to next year.

Let’s go team by team and see where everyone stands.

 

12. Utah (finished with 14 points, in their 23 matches). Utah underwent a lot of player lineup changes, starting with the drafting of Tyson McGuffin and his immediate trade. Their trade of Jay Devilliers for Connor Garnett worked out well; the chemistry between Tyler Loong and Garnett was obvious. That trade made them a tough out. For 2025, they will drop Genie Bouchard for sure (mandatory under the rules), and look for Alix Truong to improve.

 

11. Columbus (finished with 21 points). Columbus appeared to have talent but got off to a poor start and never recovered. Riley Newman played ok, but did not jell with Connor Garnett, resulting in the trade for Jay Devilliers. Devilliers then got hurt. Meghan Dizon played poorly to start the year, and was traded late. This team may well drop everyone but Newman and will look completely different in 2025.

 

 

10. LA (20 points in 17 matches). Thomas Wilson went on injured reserve early and the team could never recover from his loss. They hung on for awhile but have faded late.  The team may well just run this roster back next year, assuming Wilson can return. Catherine Parenteau, Wilson, Jade Kawamoto, and Hunter Johnson is a pretty good team. Of course, they can only keep three so they will need to figure out Wilson’s situation and proceed accordingly. If Wilson is back, Kawamoto likely gets dropped.

 

9. Orlando (22 points in 17 matches). Orlando started slow and then was up and down. Las Vegas MLP was a perfect example. Orlando stated with three victories, including a 3-1 win over New Jersey. But they closed with losses to LA and Dallas. It was a longshot, but had Orlando gone 5-0 in Las Vegas they would have had a reasonable shot at the playoffs. Now they are back to being a 25-1 shot. Their ending roster, Federico Staksrud, Tyson McGuffin, Vivienne David, Meghan Dizon, appears loaded with talent, but chemistry appears to be missing. They have two good women, but both are best on the right. Do they drop a woman to try to pick up a left side player? Or do they drop McGuffin, figuring there are likely to be more quality men available?

 

8. Carolina (23 points in 20 matches). This is a team that plainly lacked chemistry all year. If St. Louis and New Jersey lead the league in energy, Carolina was the team at the opposite end. A team with Ben Johns simply has to do better. The team started with Jessie Irvine and Andrea Koop, but they underperformed. Irvine, once traded, played well; why did she underperform with Carolina? The team ended with Kaitlyn Christian and Brooke Buckner. Collin Johns is clearly mis-cast and the Johns brothers were frequently defeated in men’s doubles. If they can’t win men’s doubles, then Collin is a big detriment. This team needs to keep Ben and figure out how best to build around him. Dropping Collin is obvious; determining what to do about the women’s side of the team is more difficult.

 

 

7. Arizona (24 points in 18 matches). Arizona went 4-1 in Las Vegas, netting 12 points. Getting 12 points on those five matches equaled the total number of points they had gained in the prior 13 matches! As previously mentioned, Jessie Irvine played poorly for Carolina, but played very well for Arizona in Las Vegas. As always, chemistry matters in MLP, and maybe Irvine just felt too much pressure playing with Ben Johns. Either way, the team now looks solid. They have an outside shot at the playoffs. They need another 12-14 points in their last five matches AND they need New York or DC to play very poorly in their last matches. The good news is the schedule has these teams playing each other, so Arizona will have an opportunity. For next year, they likely drop Irvine, but should be able to find an equivalent replacement.

 

6. New York (30 points in 18 matches). New York is an odd team. They have Jack Sock, who was not only the worst first round pick in MLP, he is statistically the worst pick in all of MLP. But, Lea Jansen and Jackie Kawamoto have been a tough women’s doubles team all year. CJ Klinger has also played very well; indeed, he has played better than Sock. They have started to fade somewhat, but only need about 6-7 points in their last five matches to ensure a playoff spot. For next year, they have a dilemma; Sock is the weak point of the team, but can they really drop their first round draft choice? If the team had drafted Christian Alshon instead of Sock, they might well be in first place. Their general manager made a very bad first pick, but can they admit it and drop Sock? If they drop anyone else, another team will gladly pick up the dropped player.

 

5. DC (30 points in 17 matches). Another inconsistent team, but they only need 6-7 points in their last six matches make the playoffs. James Ignatowich has just played so-so, but the pickup of Vivian Glozman appeared to boost team chemistry. Dekel Bar and Rachel Rohrabacher have been solid. This team can win any match; they can also lose to anyone. A tough team to predict. Glozman likely gets dropped next year, unless the rules are changed to allow a team to keep all four players. No one will particularly want to play DC in the playoffs, but they are unlikely to win it all as they are just too inconsistent.

 

4. Texas (38 points). Texas was a threat to take a top-2 spot, until Christian Alshon had to miss MLP Las Vegas. Texas went 1-4 in Las Vegas and now will drop to a four or five seed in the playoffs. Quang Duong was a very good mid-season pickup, but everything depends on Alshon. If he is back and 100%, this team is tough. Etta Wright had to drop a match in Las Vegas due to exhaustion, but she will presumably be back to 100% for the playoffs. Duong has to be dropped at the end of the season per current rules. I am sure they would like to get him back for 2025. They should be a favorite in round one of the playoffs, assuming they are back at full strength.

 

 

3. Dallas (46 points). Dallas currently sits second in points, but they will be caught and passed by New Jersey, and will finish third. Dallas is another team that fights inconsistency. Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson is a tough team on paper but their women’s doubles record is just so-so. Indeed, all four doubles teams they put out are solid. However, they will win a match playing great and then turn around and lose one they seemed sure to win. They will end up the third seed this year, so they pick their first round opponent. They will pick New York, assuming New York makes the playoffs. Dallas will be a solid favorite in that match. For next year, they have no obvious drop; they probably drop Augie Ge, on the theory it is easier to replace a good man than a good woman. 

 

2. New Jersey (40 points in 18 matches). New Jersey has an outside but reasonable chance to overtake St. Louis for the top seed. New Jersey needs 13 points in five matches; possible, though difficult. New Jersey has benefitted from playing an easier schedule than St. Louis or Dallas. This remains true for the last five matches, as New Jersey does not have to play any of the other top four teams to finish the year. Anna Leigh Waters has been great; but the MVP has been Will Howells. Howells was the 37th pick and he has played like a high second round pick. I cannot say enough about how Howells has played. He was THE best draft pick of MLP this year and his play combined with Waters’ play has put New Jersey where they are. Mari Humberg has played solidly in women’s doubles, as Navratil has in men’s doubles. The Zane Navratil/Humberg mixed team has been weak, but they are tough in Dreambreakers. They will get a bye, but when we get to the final four, anything can happen. For next year, either Navratil or Humberg will be dropped. Navratil is probably the one to go as his skills can be duplicated more easily. But, he is so good for team chemistry, I could see New Jersey dropping Humberg. This is another team that would like to keep all four players, if they could.

 

1. St. Louis (52 points). St. Louis sits comfortably in first place. They can finish no worse than second, so they will get a bye. Anna Bright has again been the bright spot for the team. The Gabe Tardio/Hayden Patriquin combo is great. Kate Fahey was a solid fourth round pick. This is a team with no weaknesses. They roll out four good doubles teams and they are good at Dreambreakers. They will be tough to beat, but that will also be true of their opponents. For 2025, they have no choice but to drop Fahey. I am sure they would like to just pick her up and keep the same team.

 

 

For the playoffs, as of now, it is likely to be (3) Dallas v (6) New York. Dallas will choose to play New York even if New York finishes 5th. Dallas will be a solid favorite although MLP is unpredictable.

 

Texas and DC likely will play in the other first round matchup. This is a very tough one to predict, but Texas at full strength is the better team.

 

If Dallas and Texas win, the #1 seed will pick who to play. An argument could be made to pick either one. But, a final four of Dallas, Texas, New Jersey and St. Louis would be awesome to see. Whoever wins from that bunch will have earned it. If it comes down to the last match and a Dreambreaker, that would be epic (and it is possible).

 

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