Augie Ge and the Dallas Flash have enjoyed a strong start to the MLP season. Major League Pickleball
Where all the MLP teams stand after three events
Jim Kloss
Jul 30, 2024 09:35 AM ET
DALLAS, TX - Three of the eight MLP events are now in the books.
With the conclusion of MLP Salt Lake City, we now have a developing picture of where the teams stand; who is looking good for the playoffs, who is on the bubble, and who is likely to be looking to next year.
Let’s go team by team and see where everyone stands.
1. Dallas. My pick at the beginning of the year to win it all is looking good. Dallas has 31 points, having played 14 matches (every team will play 23 matches). Six teams make the playoffs, with two teams having a bye. It looks like it will take about 36-37 points to make the playoffs and about 45 to secure a bye. Dallas is close to being a lock to make the playoffs and is looking strong for a bye.
Dallas' Hurricane Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson competing in Utah. Major League Pickleball
2. Texas. The Ranchers have 29 points, in 14 matches. They are third in points per match. They are a steady team, which should easily make the playoffs. Right now they look to be in a fight with St Louis for the other bye.
3. St. Louis. The Anna Bright-led team has 28 points, in 13 matches. They are slightly ahead of Texas in points per match. It looks like St Louis, Texas, and Dallas will fight for the two byes. Whoever does not get a bye will have a much tougher road. Every team can beat every other team, so the fewer matches you play in the playoffs, the better your chances.
4. New York. New York did not play in Salt Lake City, so they stayed at 18 points in 10 matches. Following the top three teams, the next four are tightly bunched. One of the top seven teams will miss the playoffs, so every match is truly important. NY has played better than I expected, carried by their women’s doubles team.
5. New Jersey. The 5’s have 17 points in 9 matches. NJ scored 11 team points in Salt Lake, points they sorely needed. They have been carried by a 4-0 record in Dreambreakers.
The 5s have enjoyed strong results so far this year. Major League Pickleball 6. DC. The DC team was not in Salt Lake City, so they stayed at 15 points in 9 matches. This team has been inconsistent, but seemed to settle down once they traded for Vivian Glozman. I expect them to be strong going forward and to be one of the six playoff teams.
7. Los Angeles. Thomas Wilson missed Salt Lake City, but Blaine Hovenier filled in admirably. They scored 10 team points in Salt Lake City. With Wilson out, it could have been a disaster, but Hovenier saved their season. Right now, they are #7, so they are on the outside looking in, but Hovenier gave them a chance. They have 14 points in 9 matches.
8. Carolina. There is a big gap between #7 and #8. Carolina has 12 points in 11 matches. To make the playoffs, they likely need to average about 2 points per match going forward. While not impossible, that is unlikely. Definitely a disappointing season for a Ben Johns team.
9. AZ. The Drive have 10 points in 10 matches. Like Carolina, AZ would need to average about 2 points per match going forward to make the playoffs. They have some firepower, but just have not shown it to date.
Arizona's Andrei Daescu and Lacy Schneemann at work. Major League Pickleball
10. Columbus. Columbus is tied with AZ, with 10 points in 10 matches. Columbus has been dysfunctional from the get go. Riley Newman has not been dominant, and the rest of the team has played poorly. This team looks done for.
11. Orlando. The Squeeze had a bad run in Salt Lake City, scoring only 2 points. They now have only 7 points in 9 matches. They likely need to average more than 2 points per match to make the playoffs. It is a near impossible task. If all four of the drafted players play, they do have the most expensive team in terms of auction dollars spent, so there is talent there.
12. Utah. Utah has 4 points in 10 matches and is out of the playoff picture. They did show signs of life in Salt Lake City and played competitively even when they lost. This team could play spoiler going forward. Any time they sneak a win, it really hurts the playoff chances of the team they beat.
At this point, it looks like Dallas and Texas will get byes, with St. Louis the 3 seed, DC at 4, NJ at 5 and NY at 6. Under that scenario, STL would play NY and DC would play NJ. This is no sure thing as STL will battle for one of the byes. I expect Dallas, Texas, and STL to all finish within a point or two of each other and well ahead of the 4th place team.
Can LA move up and steal a playoff spot? Can one of the teams ranked 8th or lower go on a big run and challenge for a playoff spot? We shall see!
