All Major League Pickleball teams made their keeper selections Sunday night, and rosters are now locked leading up to the league's free-agency draft on Feb. 27.

- A total of 54 players were kept across the 20 teams (26 female / 28 male; teams ranged from 0 to 5 keepers).

- There will be 66 open roster spots to fill during the 2026 MLP Free Agency Draft, which will be Friday, Feb. 27, at 10 a.m. ET.

- The initial 28 picks of the draft will be dedicated to filling the first two female and first two male roster slots on teams that did not keep at least two of each (16 female / 12 male to be selected).

- The final 38 picks will be used toward open 5th and 6th roster slots (18 female / 20 male to be selected).

Following the draft: Trade Window #2 will open on Monday, March 2, at 10 a.m. ET.

Read next: Major League Pickleball offseason trade roundup

2026 MLP Keepers by team

Atlanta Bouncers

Dropped: Rachel Rettger

KEEPERS
Women: Kaitlyn Christian
Men: Jay Devilliers, Jaume Martinez Vich
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man

Bay Area Breakers

Dropped: Samantha Parker

KEEPERS
Women: Mya Bui
Men: Pablo Tellez
Still needs: 2 women, 2 men

Brooklyn Pickleball Team

Dropped: Pat Smith

KEEPERS
Women: Hannah Blatt, Jackie Kawamoto, Rachel Rohrabacher
Men: Riley Newman
Still needs: 2 men

California Black Bears

Dropped: Michael Loyd, Martin Emmrich, Lina Padegimaite

KEEPERS
Women: Layne Sleeth
Men: None
Still needs: 2 women, 3 men

Carolina Hogs

Dropped: Craig Johnson

KEEPERS
Women: Ava Ignatowich, Angie Walker
Men: James Delgado, DJ Young
Still needs: 1 woman, 1 man

Chicago Slice

Dropped: Callie Smith, Carlos Di Laura, Pierina Imparato

KEEPERS
Women: None
Men: Hunter Johnson, Zane Navratil
Still needs: 3 women, 1 man

Columbus Sliders

Dropped: Lea Jansen, Marcella Hones, Ross Whittaker 

KEEPERS
Women: Parris Todd
Men: Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man

Dallas Flash

Dropped: Jorja Johnson

KEEPERS
Women: Hurricane Tyra Black
Men: Augie Ge, JW Johnson
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man

Florida Smash

Dropped: Paula Rives

KEEPERS
Women: Martina Frantova
Men: Cason Campbell, Travis Rettenmaier
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man

Las Vegas Night Owls

Dropped: Brandon French

KEEPERS
Women: Brooke Buckner, Liz Truluck, Chao Yi Wang
Men: Roscoe Bellamy, Blaine Hovenier
Still needs: 1 man

Los Angeles Mad Drops

Dropped: Wes Burrows, Mehvish Safdar.

KEEPERS
Women: Jade Kawamoto, Catherine Parenteau
Men: Max Freeman, Ben Johns
Still needs: 1 woman, 1 man

Miami Pickleball Club

Dropped: Eric Roddy, Tammy Emmrich, Juan Benitez, Tatiana Ruhl.

KEEPERS
Women: Alix Truong
Men: Yuta Funemizu
Still needs: 2 women, 2 men

New Jersey 5s

Dropped: Meghan Dizon, Mari Humberg.

KEEPERS
Women: Anna Leigh Waters
Men: Will Howells, Noe Khlif
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man

Orlando Squeeze

Dropped: Dylan Frazier, Grayson Goldin, Allison Phillips

KEEPERS
Women: Milan Rane, Lacy Schneemann
Men: Federico Staksrud
Still needs: 1 woman, 2 men

Palm Beach Royals

Dropped: Expansion team, no drops

KEEPERS
Women: Tina Pisnik, Sofia Sewing
Men: Dekel Bar
Still needs: 1 woman, 2 men

Phoenix Flames

Dropped: Jack Sock, Tyson McGuffin, Genie Bouchard, Pesa Teoni, Alex Walker

KEEPERS
Women: Jessie Irvine
Men: None
Still needs: 2 women, 3 men

SoCal Hard Eights

Dropped: John Lucian Goins, Ivan Jakovljevic, Jalina Ingram, Cailyn Campbell.

KEEPERS
Women: None
Men: None
Still needs: 3 men, 3 women

St. Louis Shock

Dropped: Anna Bright, Judit Castillo

KEEPERS
Women: Kate Fahey
Men: Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man

Texas Ranchers

Dropped: Victoria DiMuzio, Felicity Di Laura, Wyatt Stone.

KEEPERS
Women: None
Men: Christian Alshon, Eric Oncins
Still needs: 3 women, 1 man

Utah Black Diamonds 

Dropped: Tyler Loong, Yates Johnson, Chloe Igleski

KEEPERS
Women: Allyce Jones, Etta Tuionetoa
Men: Connor Garnett
Still needs: 1 woman, 2 men

MLP Keeper selections -- reaction

St. Louis, Dallas and Columbus all chose to drop women's players (Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson and Lea Jansen, respectively). Each of those teams has a history of being very aggressive in the free-agency draft, and I expect that to be the case again this year.

But they will likely have some serious competition if they want to get those players back (or a different top-tier women's player) in the draft. Several other teams are going into the draft with a blank slate or nearly blank slate, so at least a couple of those teams figure to be active in the early part of the draft.

For teams still needing starting men's players, there aren't a ton of great options. The biggest names that were dropped are: Dylan Frazier, Tyson McGuffin, Jack Sock and Tyler Loong.

I've grouped teams into four buckets heading into the free-agency draft:

Tier 1: Could contend right now

Los Angeles Mad Drops: By trading Hunter Johnson for Max Freeman during the first offseason trade window, the Mad Drops were able to keep their likely starters. Out of the four teams that made the semifinals in the playoffs last season (St. Louis, Columbus and New Jersey being the others), LA is the only team that could field a starting four right now -- and it's a pretty good starting four. Regardless of what happens in the free-agency draft, LA will be a Top 4-5 team heading into the season. 

Tier 2: In good shape, still missing a starter

Atlanta Bouncers: They are one of several teams that will be looking to add a solid women's player in the free-agency draft.

Brooklyn Pickleball Team: They need a men's player to pair with Riley Newman, but like I mentioned previously, there aren't a ton of top-tier options. Maybe we get a Newman-McGuffin reunion from their days playing together pre-2021?

Carolina Hogs: It seems like they're rolling with James Delgado and DJ Young as their men's starters (sign me up to watch all of their matches), but they still need a top-tier women's player if they are going to contend this year.

Columbus Sliders: Will they go after Jansen in the draft to defend their 2025 title with the same starting four? 

Dallas Flash: Last year they dropped Augie Ge and were big spenders in the free-agency draft in order to get him back. Will they take the same approach with Jorja Johnson?

Florida Smash: I'm putting them in this tier because they technically only need one more women's player in order to round out their starting four. But if they're going to be serious contenders they probably need an upgrade on the men's side as well.

Las Vegas Night Owls: They are another team that has a mostly complete roster, but not one that would make them a top-tier team in the league this season.

New Jersey 5s: If they spend the money to get one of the top women available, they will be the favorites to win it all heading into the season.

Orlando Squeeze: I'm wondering if they elected to drop a men's player thinking that's what St. Louis, Dallas or Columbus might do, which would have meant more top-tier men's players available in the draft. If that was the hope, it didn't work out, and now their best bet would probably be to get Frazier back. Even if they were able to do that, they still would likely be looking at another middle-of-the-pack type of season.

Palm Beach Royals: They've done about as well as an expansion team could hope for to this point, picking up three starting-caliber players in the first offseason trade window. If they could get one of the top men's players available, they would be a playoff contender in their first season.

St. Louis Shock: Last year they dropped Fahey and paid top dollar to get her back in the free-agency draft. Will they run the same play to get Anna Bright back this year?

Utah Black Diamonds: They are another team that probably needs a top-tier men's player in order to be a serious threat this year, but I'm not sure they can get such a player in this year's free-agency draft.

Tier 3: Missing two starters

Bay Area Breakers: The teams coming up from Challenger have a tough road ahead. The Breakers need both a men's and women's starter, so if they want to contend right out of the gate they will have to spend big.

Chicago Slice: The men's pair of Zane Navratil and Hunter Johnson is decent, but they are missing two women's starters. Those players are out there if they are willing to spend.

Miami Pickleball Club: Yuta Funemizu has been having good results in men's doubles on the PPA Tour lately (he made the Round of 16 at the Masters and the quarterfinals at the Cape Coral Open), but he still struggles in mixed, although with the new lineup rules this season he wouldn't have to play mixed. It's tough to see them contending with any of the men's players available in the draft.

Texas Ranchers: They made a bet that top talent would be available on the women's side, and that paid off. Now it's a question of how aggressive they will be in trying to get one (or two) of those top women.

Tier 4: Total rebuild

California Black Bears: The only player on the roster is Layne Sleeth, who is coming off of hip surgery. Lots of work to do.

Phoenix Flames: Dropping both Sock and McGuffin was a bit of a surprise, and now they are going into the free-agency draft with only Jessie Irvine on the roster.

SoCal Hard Eights: They have a total blank slate. 

Available players for 2026 free-agency draft

Aanik Lohani
Abbigal Hatton
Adam Harvey
Aditya Ruhela
AJ Koller
Alex Crum
Alex Walker
Alexa Schull
Alli Phillips
Altaf Merchant
Anderson Scarpa
Andre Mercado
Andrew Caldarella
Anna Bright
Armaan Bhatia
Aryaan Bhatia
Ashley Griffith
Audrey Brown
Austin Bricker
Ava Cavataio
Braden Jacobson
Brandon French
Brooke Caruso
Caden Nemoff
Cailyn Campbell
Callie Smith
Camden Chaffin
Camila Zilveti
Carlos Di Laura
Chloe Igleski
Chris Crouch
Chris Haworth
Christa Gecheva
Christine Trifunovic
Chuck Taylor
Collin Johns
Connor Allen Mogle
Craig Johnson
Danni-Elle Townsend
Danny Phillips
Daria Walczak
Donald Young
Dylan Frazier
Ed Perez
Ella Cosma
Ella Yeh
Elsie Hendershot
Emma Nelson
Estée Widdershoven
Ewa Radzikowska
Gabriel Joseph
Genie Bouchard
Genie Erokhina
George Rangelov
George Wall
Giovanna Morelli
Grayson Goldin
Greg Dow
Hsiang Wen-Huang
Indigo Dagnall
Irina Tereschenko
Isabella Dunlap
Ivan Jakovljevic
Jace Morris
Jack Sock
Jade Rau
Jaeda Minniefield
Jalina Ingram
Jhonnatan Medina-Álvarez
John Cincola
John Lucian Goins
Jonathan Truong
Jorja Johnson
Juan Benitez
Judit Castillo Gargallo
Kiora Kunimoto
Lea Jansen
Len Yang
Lina Padegimaite
Lindsey Newman
Lingwei Kong
Luana Stanciu
Luc Pham
Luca Mack
Lucas Pascoe
Luke Wasson
Marcela Hones
Mariana Humberg
Martin Emmrich
Meghan Dizon
Mehvish Safdar
Michael Loyd
Mo Alhouni
Mohamed Anouar Braham
Monica Paolicelli
Mota Alhouni
Naomi Phuong Nguyen
Nicole Conard
Olivia McMillan
Pat Smith
Paula Rives Palau
Pesa Teoni
Pierina Imparato
Polina Libo
Rachel Rettger
Rafa Hewett
Rafa Lenhard
Ross Whittaker
Ryan Sherry
Sahra Dennehy
Samantha Parker
Spartak Rahachou
Stefan Auvergne
Stephen Madonia
Steve Deakin
Tam Trinh
Tama Shimabukuro
Tamaryn Emmrich
Tatiana Ruhl
Thomas Wilson
Ting Chieh Wei
Tom Paul Protzek
Tyler Loong
Tyson McGuffin
Valerie Simon
Victoria Di Muzio
Victoria Simon
Wes Burrows
Wil Shaffer
Will MacKinnon
Wyatt Stone
Yates Johnson
Zane Ford
Zoey Weil
Zoeya Khan