Now that the 2024 MLP season is nearing its end, it’s time to look back at the draft from six months ago. Which picks were great and set a team up for the playoffs? Which picks have not aged well?

1. Ben Johns, Carolina. Still the right pick.

2. Anna Leigh Waters, New Jersey. At the time, there was a question about how many events she would play. She has played them all, and been dominant, so good pick.

3. Anna Bright, St. Louis. Playing well and obviously loves the format, so good pick.

4. Riley Newman, Columbus. Has not been dominant, but his teammates have played poorly. A disappointment.

5. Andrei Daescu, AZ. Just has not done well, has not jelled with teammates. One of the bigger disappointments in MLP, but the talent is there.

6. Jack Sock, New York. New York is going to sneak into the playoffs, but not because of Sock. He’s played at about third round pick quality. He’s probably been the worst pick of the draft so far.

7. Christian Alshon, Texas. Very solid.

8. James Ignatowich, DC. DC will make the playoffs and they look like a good team, but Ignatowich has been just a little off his game.

9. Catherine Parenteau, LA. Team has suffered due to Thomas Wilson injury. She was picked a little too high.

10. Thomas Wilson, LA. Has basically missed all year.

11. Federico Staksrud, Orlando. Good team that has been super inconsistent, and a disappointment. Has not played up to his ability.

12. JW Johnson, Dallas. They are a solid playoff team, but plagued by inconsistency.

13. Dylan Frazier, AZ. Just has not jelled with teammates, has not played like a high pick.

14. Rachel Rohrabacher, DC. Again, DC is a good team, but Rohrabacher is a little out of place playing left side.

15. Etta Wright, Texas. Solid, as she always seems to be.

16. Jackie Kawamoto, New York. Probably picked a bit too high, but she’s carried New York, with Lea Jansen.

17. Jorja Johnson, Dallas. Picked a bit too low, she’s been very good.

18. Meghan Dizon, Columbus. Huge disappointment. Just has not played well.

19. Tyson McGuffin, Utah. Picked by Utah, traded to Orlando. Neither team has done anything.

20. Vivienne David, Orlando. Out of place matched with another right side player. Talented team that has not played well together.

21. Hayden Patriquin, St. Louis. Well matched with his teammates. St. Louis did a very good job drafting for chemistry.

22. Zane Navratil, New Jersey. Has a poor record, but has been great for team chemistry.

23. Tyra Black, Dallas. Like everyone on Dallas, has talent, they are a playoff team, but plagued by inconsistency.

24. Gabe Tardio, St. Louis. Very good pick, has improved a lot. Good fit with teammates.

25. Parris Todd, Orlando. Mismatched with Vivienne David.

26. Jade Kawamoto, LA. Dysfunctional team, not her fault.

27. Callie Smith, Utah. Team has improved as the year has gone on. A fighter. But team lacks top talent.

28. Lea Jansen, New York. One of the best pics of the draft. Has been a big reason New York will make the playoffs.

29. Dekel Bar, DC. Picked too low, outperformed draft position. True of Dekel every year.

30. Tina Pisnik, Texas. Good pick at this spot.

31. Connor Garnett, Columbus. Did not fit with Columbus, traded to Utah. Has helped make Utah a tough out.

32. Jay Devilliers, Orlando. Traded to Utah, then to Columbus. Has played so-so, at best.

33. Mari Humberg, New Jersey. Sleeper pick, who I had going Premier in my mock drafts. Matches well with teammates.

34. Lacy Schneemann, AZ. Another good player who has not played well in MLP. The story of AZ.

35. Kaitlyn Christian, AZ. See above.

36. Tyler Loong, Utah. Like the rest of the team, started slow, now competitive.

37. Will Howells, New Jersey. The best pick of the draft. Has outplayed some of the first round picks. He’s a big reason NJ is so good.

38. Augie Ge, Dallas. Again, solid, but needs consistency. A good pick at this spot.

39. Hunter Johnson, LA. A decent pick, but has suffered from the Thomas Wilson injury.

40. Allyce Jones, DC. Dropped for Vivian Glozman. A fighter, but too much of a liability in Dreambreakers.

41. Pablo Tellez, Texas. Dropped for Quang Duong. Good guy, good teammate, good player. Should still be in Premier.

42. Kate Fahey, St. Louis. Keeps improving. Credit to STL for seeing the potential.

43. Andrea Koop, Carolina. Has not played particularly well. Several women picked Challenger would have been better fits.

44. Jessie Irvine, Carolina. Similar to Andrea Koop. Has been better at doubles, but a huge liability in Dreambreakers, so a bad fit with Ben Johns.

45. Brooke Buckner, Columbus. Traded to Carolina. Has not fit well with either team. Has been a disappointment in Dreambreakers.

46. CJ Klinger, New York. Has outplayed his draft position. Indeed, he has played better than Sock.

47. Collin Johns, Carolina. Jaume Martinez Vich would have been a much better pick. Has been low energy in MLP, although played ok in New York City.

48. Alix Truong, Utah. Looked lost early on. Has come on a lot. Fits with the rest of the Utah team now.

 

 

1. Chemistry is important. As has been true of prior MLPs, team chemistry is huge. You can see it when it is there (New Jersey, St. Louis) and when it isn’t (AZ, Orlando).

2. Youth be served. In general, the younger players, and players new to MLP, tend to do well. They have more enthusiasm, and that helps.

3. Energy is all. Team energy is almost as important as talent. The magic formula is youth + chemistry + talent = energy = success at MLP.

4. Getting value at rounds 3-4 is key. Teams want their first pick to be solid, but the late picks separate the top teams from the non-playoff teams. New Jersey has the best 3-4 combo in Mari Humberg/Will Howells, and St. Louis is close behind with Gabe Tardio/Kate Fahey. At the other end, Connor Garnett/Brooke Buckner for Columbus and Jessie Irvine/Collin Johns for Carolina have not worked.

5. Singles talent matters. Teams often talk about not drafting for singles ability. That is a mistake. About one-third of all matches go to Dreambreakers. St. Louis, New Jersey, and New York have all been carried by their singles success. On the other hand, Carolina and Columbus have been hurt by their poor performance in singles. Flip flop the Dreambreaker records of New York and Carolina, and Carolina not New York is in the playoffs. Carolina in particular has failed this year due to not picking good singles players to go with Ben Johns.

6. Pick players who fit well together. For example, Tyra Black is much better on the left, so Dallas picked a lefty man (Augie Ge) to pair with her in mixed. Anna Bright/Kate Fahey works well, as does Hayden Patriquin/Gabe Tardio, plus all mixed pairings work for St. Louis. On the other hand, every combination AZ tries does not seem to work at all. Columbus has suffered, due to not having a good left side woman.

 

Barring a complete collapse by New York, the six playoff teams will be New Jersey, St. Louis, Dallas, Texas, DC, and New York. Any team can beat any other team in a single match, so playoff positioning is huge. St. Louis has the top spot for one bye, and New Jersey has a good shot at the other bye, due to playing an easier schedule than Dallas or Texas. Whoever finishes third will pick New York as their first round opponent, leaving the fourth place team to face DC in a very tough battle. The fight for those two playoff byes could well come down to the last match.

 

Follow me on Twitter/X @pickleball_jim.