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

MLP Keeper selections

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 based on where I think they currently stand in terms of roster construction and their ability to compete:

Tier 1: Contenders

LOS ANGELES MAD DROPS

Dropped: Wes Burrows, Mehvish Safdar
Kept: Jade Kawamoto, Catherine Parenteau, Max Freeman, Ben Johns
Still needs: 1 woman, 1 man
Top targets: They will have to wait until all other teams have two men and two women before filling out their bench.

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.

COLUMBUS SLIDERS

Dropped: Lea Jansen, Marcella Hones, Ross Whittaker
Kept: Parris Todd, Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man
Top targets: Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson, Meghan Dizon, Callie Smith

The Columbus Sliders are coming off an MLP championship and one would think that they will be going after one of the top four women to try to defend their title. If they can’t score one of the other top women (mainly Bright or Johnson), they could still get Jansen back.

DALLAS FLASH

Dropped: Jorja Johnson
Kept: Hurricane Tyra Black, Augie Ge, JW Johnson
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man
Top targets: Jorja Johnson, Anna Bright

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? It's hard to envision the Flash without Jorja Johnson, though they would also be scary  Anna Bright would also be scary. We believe they won’t settle for anyone but one of the two top women.

NEW JERSEY 5s

Dropped: Meghan Dizon, Mari Humberg.
Kept: Anna Leigh Waters, Will Howells, Noe Khlif
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man
Top targets: Jorja Johnson, Anna Bright

With Anna Leigh Waters, the 5s are perennial contenders. Many were surprised that they dropped Meghan Dizon, but now they are in a situation where they could go all-in to get Johnson or Bright. That would make them the clear favorites heading into the season.

ST. LOUIS SHOCK

Dropped: Anna Bright, Judit Castillo
Kept: Kate Fahey, Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man
Top targets: Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson, Lea Jansen, Meghan Dizon

Last year St. Louis 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? Just as we can’t envision the Dallas Flash without Jorja Johnson, we can’t picture the St. Louis Shock without Bright. With the core of Fahey, Patriquin, and Tardio, the Shock can still make a deep run, but to win it all they will need either Bright or Johnson.

Tier 2: Could contend with the right draft pick

ATLANTA BOUNCERS

Dropped: Rachel Rettger
Kept: Kaitlyn Christian, Jay Devilliers, Jaume Martinez Vich
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man
Top targets: Lea Jansen, Callie Smith, Meghan Dizon

The Bouncers made two key offseason moves, acquiring Christian and Devilliers to go along with a proven Martinez Vich. They are one of several teams that will be looking to add a solid women's player in the free-agency draft. I don’t see them ponying up the money to get Bright or Johnson, but could certainly see them trying to fill their last starting spot with Lea Jansen, Callie Smith or Meghan Dizon. 

BROOKLYN PICKLEBALL TEAM

Dropped: Pat Smith
Kept: Hannah Blatt, Jackie Kawamoto, Rachel Rohrabacher, Riley Newman
Still needs: 2 men
Top targets: Dylan Frazier, Tyson McGuffin, Tama Shimabukuro 

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? Their best bet would be Dylan Frazier and we actually think Dylan’s chill style mixed with Riley’s fire could be an interesting mix.

UTAH BLACK DIAMONDS

Dropped: Tyler Loong, Yates Johnson, Chloe Igleski
Kept: Allyce Jones, Etta Tuionetoa, Connor Garnett
Still needs: 1 woman, 2 men
Top targets: Dylan Frazier, Tyler Loong, Jack Sock

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. If I am the GM of Utah, I’m going hard after Dylan Frazier, though we aren’t sure that’s enough to compete for a title. Jack Sock is another interesting name to watch for Utah.

Tier 3: In a tough spot

CHICAGO SLICE

Dropped: Callie Smith, Carlos Di Laura, Pierina Imparato
Kept: Hunter Johnson, Zane Navratil
Still needs: 3 women, 1 man
Top targets: Meghan Dizon, Lea Jansen, Genie Bouchard, Cailyn Campbell, Danni-Elle Townsend

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. But this team is going to struggle competing even if they are able to land Bright or Johnson, so we don’t see them even going after those names.

LAS VEGAS NIGHT OWLS

Dropped: Brandon French
Kept: Brooke Buckner, Liz Truluck, Chao Yi Wang, Roscoe Bellamy, Blaine Hovenier
Still needs: 1 man
Top targets: They will have to wait until all other teams have two men and two women before filling out their bench.

The Owls won Challenger and then proceeded to dismantle their squad by surprisingly trading Pablo Tellez and James Delgado. They are now another team that has a mostly complete roster, but not one that would make them a top-tier team in the league this season. We love the addition of Roscoe Bellamy, but question pairing him with Blaine Hovenier over Pablo Tellez. Either way, they weren’t going to contend for a title after just making the move up from Challenger.

ORLANDO SQUEEZE

Dropped: Dylan Frazier, Grayson Goldin, Allison Phillips
Kept: Milan Rane, Lacy Schneemann, Federico Staksrud
Still needs: 1 woman, 2 men
Top targets: Dylan Frazier, Tyson McGuffin

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

Dropped: Expansion team, no drops
Kept: Tina Pisnik, Sofia Sewing, Dekel Bar
Still needs: 1 woman, 2 men
Top targets: Dylan Frazier, Tyson McGuffin

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 could be a playoff contender in their first season – assuming Sofia Sewing can make the jump from APP to MLP. McGuffin seems to make sense here.

TEXAS RANCHERS

Dropped: Victoria DiMuzio, Felicity Di Laura, Wyatt Stone
Kept: Christian Alshon, Eric Oncins
Still needs: 3 women, 1 man
Top targets: Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson, Meghan Dizon

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. If they get Anna or Jorja, they could win the whole damn thing. If not, they might not make the playoffs.

Tier 4: Total rebuild

BAY AREA BREAKERS

Dropped: Samantha Parker
Kept: Mya Bui, Pablo Tellez
Still needs: 2 women, 2 men
Top targets: Your guess is as good as ours

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, which we don’t see them doing. There have also been rumors that they are looking to sell, so spending the bare minimum might be their goal.

CALIFORNIA BLACK BEARS

Dropped: Michael Loyd, Martin Emmrich, Lina Padegimaite
Kept: Layne Sleeth
Still needs: 2 women, 3 men
Top targets: Tama Shimabukuro, Cam Chaffin, Genie Bouchard

The only player on the roster is Layne Sleeth, who is coming off of hip surgery. Lots of work to do. They aren’t going to get a top woman and the two top men, so if we were the Black Bears we’d pick up a few players with potential.

CAROLINA HOGS

Dropped: Craig Johnson
Kept: Ava Ignatowich, Angie Walker, James Delgado, DJ Young
Still needs: 1 woman, 1 man
Top targets: Tough to say

It seems like they're rolling with James Delgado and DJ Young as their men's starters (sign us up to watch all of their matches), but even with a top women’s player we don’t see them contending this year. The Hogs haven’t shown much desire to compete and we don’t see 2026 being much different. 

FLORIDA SMASH

Dropped: Paula Rives
Kept: Martina Frantova, Cason Campbell, Travis Rettenmaier
Still needs: 2 women, 1 man
Top targets: One of the young, up-and-coming female players

This is another team coming up from Challenger that could get Anna Bright and still not make the playoffs. I could see the Smash trying to develop one of the young female players such as Elsie Hendershot, Emma Nelson, or Ella Yeh.

MIAMI PICKLEBALL CLUB

Dropped: Eric Roddy, Tammy Emmrich, Juan Benitez, Tatiana Ruhl
Kept: Alix Truong, Yuta Funemizu
Still needs: 2 women, 2 men
Top targets: Tama Shimabukuro, Cam Chaffin

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. With Johnny Goldberg as the GM, you could certainly see him going for one of the up-and-comers on either the men’s or women’s side.

PHOENIX FLAMES

Dropped: Jack Sock, Tyson McGuffin, Genie Bouchard, Pesa Teoni, Alex Walker
Kept: Jessie Irvine
Still needs: 2 women, 3 men
Top targets: Impossible to guess with the Flames

The Flames went from being one of the splashiest teams in 2025, signing huge names such as Jack Sock, Tyson McGuffin and Genie Bouchard, to dropping them all and keeping the tried and true Jessie Irvine. We truly have no clue what they are up to but we are here for it! 

SOCAL HARD EIGHTS

Dropped: John Lucian Goins, Ivan Jakovljevic, Jalina Ingram, Cailyn Campbell
Kept: None
Still needs: 3 men, 3 women
Top targets: Young players with big potential

They have a total blank slate. Their best bet is to spend as little money as possible on high upside players and hope they hit the jackpot on one or two of them.

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