Major League Pickleball announced Wednesday that the Houston Hammers will join the league for the 2027 season as MLP’s 21st team.

Hugh Zhang, who lives in Houston and has experience across various industries, will lead the new ownership group.

According to a news release from MLP, the Hammers will be heavily involved in the league and Houston community, including hosting a 2027 league event in the Houston market, maintaining the existing Houston Champions Series Pickleball senior team, and having a Jr. Hammers team represented in Jr. MLP.

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“Houston is one of the top pickleball markets in the country, and we are thrilled to bring Major League Pickleball to our city,” Zhang said. “MLP completes the Houston Hammers ecosystem, with our regular-season champion senior team, Jr. MLP, and the minor leagues all under one brand. Our vision is to build a first-class sports brand that delivers an exceptional fan experience, develops local talent, and creates a lasting legacy in Houston sports.”

MLP’s 2026 summer season continued a trend of year-over-year growth, setting a host of new all-time league records, including:

  • Viewership records: Broadcast (733,000 viewers on CBS for the MLP Finals in New York City) and Cable (146,000 viewers on FS1 for the Orlando playoff event).
  • Pickleballtv Minutes Watched: +32% vs. 2025.
  • On-Site Attendance: +69% vs. 2025.
  • Ticket Revenue: +87% vs. 2025.
  • Social Impressions & Interactions: +61% & +106%, respectively, vs. 2025.

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Additional information about the Houston Hammers — including key off-season dates, the Hammers’ player acquisition process, keeper deadlines, draft date, MLP’s 2027 summer schedule of events and more — will follow in the coming weeks, according to the league.