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🎯 DRAFT COUNTDOWN

MLP FREE AGENCY DRAFT 2026

54 kept. 66 open spots. The biggest roster shakeup in pickleball history.

Draft Day — Feb 27 · 10am ET
Trade Window
Closed Feb 15
Keepers Locked
Feb 16
📋
Free Agency Period
NOW → Feb 27
🎯
Draft Day
Feb 27 · 10am ET

📅 Timeline

Trade Window
Feb 5 – 15 ✅
Keepers Lock
Feb 16 ✅
Free Agency
Feb 16 – 27
Draft Day
Feb 27
We are here — Keepers locked, 66 free agents in the pool, 11 days to Draft Day

🛠️ Draft Tools

📊

Big Board

198 free agents ranked by our proprietary Sheet Rating™ system. Built from 7,500+ PPA matches across singles, doubles, and mixed. The most data-driven draft board in pickleball.

🎮

Draft Simulator

Run your own mock draft. Snake format, all 22 teams, real free agent pool. See who your team could land — and who they'll miss.

🔒

Keeper Tracker

Every team's keeper and drop decisions. Who stayed, who got cut, and what it means for draft day. Updated in real-time.

⚖️

Team Compare

Compare any two teams head-to-head on SR™, roster strength, and format balance. See the gaps before draft day fills them.

📖 How The MLP Draft Works

1

Keepers Locked ✅

Each team protected their core players. 54 players kept across 20 teams. Everyone else entered the free agent pool. Some teams kept 5, others kept zero.

2

Free Agent Pool Set ✅

66 roster spots to fill. The pool includes stars like Anna Bright (1803 SR™), Jorja Johnson (1787), and Dylan Frazier (1727). Plus PPA tour players and new entrants.

3

Draft Day — Feb 27

First 28 picks fill starting spots ($10K min bid). Last 38 picks fill 5th/6th roster slots ($1K min). Snake format based on 2025 standings. 10am ET.

4

Trade Window #2 — Mar 2

After the draft settles, a second trade window opens March 2. Teams can swap picks, players, and cash to fine-tune. Season starts May 22 in Dallas.

🏆 Top Free Agents by Sheet Rating™

The highest-rated players available on draft day. Sheet Rating™ built from 7,500+ PPA match results. View full Big Board →

1. Anna Bright — 1803 SR™ ↑

Dropped by St. Louis. Peak rating of 1931 — trending UP. The consensus #1 pick. 177 PPA matches of data say she's still ascending.

2. Jorja Johnson — 1787 SR™

Dropped by Dallas despite being JW Johnson's sister. Elite doubles player, second-highest SR™ in the pool.

3. Dylan Frazier — 1727 SR™

Best men's player available. Dropped by Orlando. At 1727, he's a legit starter anywhere. Rebuilding teams will target him early.

4. Lea Jansen — 1698 SR™ ↑

Columbus dropped her despite a rising rating. Proven winner. Could be the steal of the draft if she falls past pick 3.

5. Meghan Dizon — 1642 SR™

NJ 5s let her go. Reliable, consistent. The type of player who anchors a roster without the drama.

6. Jack Sock — 1639 SR™

Former ATP star dropped by Phoenix. Tennis crossover appeal + solid SR™. A team wanting star power and competitiveness grabs him.

🏟️ Team Needs Analysis

Post-keeper reality. Based on actual keeper decisions and SR™ data. UPDATED

SoCal Hard Eights
0 players kept
🔧 REBUILDING
Dropped entire roster. Need 6 players — full rebuild from scratch. Most draft capital in the league.
Nuclear option. Betting everything on the draft. Could build a monster or a mess. The most fascinating team on Feb 27.
Phoenix Flames
1 players kept
🔧 REBUILDING
Kept only Jessie Irvine. Need 5 players including a men's core. Dropped Jack Sock, Tyson McGuffin, Genie Bouchard.
Blew it up. Irvine is a solid foundation, but they need to find 5 players who mesh. Huge draft day incoming.
California Black Bears
6 players kept
🔧 REBUILDING
Kept only Layne Sleeth. Need 5 players. Lost Emmrich, Padegimaite, Loyd.
Full rebuild around Sleeth. At least they have a young cornerstone. Need to draft smart — both talent and chemistry.
Bay Area Breakers
2 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Mya Bui and Pablo Tellez. Need 4 players. Dropped Samantha Parker.
Tellez and Bui is a start, but 4 spots is a lot of draft day work. Will be very active.
Chicago Slice
2 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Zane Navratil and Hunter Johnson. Need 4 to build around them. Dropped Callie Smith, Carlos Di Laura, Pierina Imparato.
Navratil is a franchise player (1771 ELO). Now they need women's talent desperately. Expect them to target top female free agents early.
Miami Pickleball Club
2 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept only Alix Truong and Yuta Funemizu. Need 4 players. Dropped Roddy, Benitez, Ruhl, Tammy Emmrich.
Gutted the roster. Funemizu and Truong are a decent core but they need 4 bodies. Major draft day player.
Texas Ranchers
6 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Christian Alshon (1855 ELO) and Eric Oncins. Need 4 players. Dropped DiMuzio, Di Laura, Stone.
Alshon is elite — 4th highest keeper ELO in the league. Built around him, this team could be dangerous if they draft well.
Atlanta Bouncers
3 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Devilliers, Kaitlyn Christian, Jaume Martinez Vich. Need 3 players.
Solid keeper core. Need a strong women's player and depth pieces. Should be able to fill gaps without reaching.
Columbus Sliders
3 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Parris Todd, Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger — highest avg keeper ELO (1830). Need 3. Dropped Lea Jansen, Whittaker, Hones.
The best keeper trio in the league by ELO. Dropping Jansen (1698) was the toughest call of the offseason. Need to fill 3 spots around an elite core.
Dallas Flash
0 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept JW Johnson, Tyra Black, Augie Ge. Need 3 players. Dropped Jorja Johnson (1787 ELO — biggest drop by a team).
JW Johnson is elite but dropping Jorja is a statement. Need women's doubles talent badly.
Florida Smash
3 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Frantova, Campbell, Rettenmaier. Need 3 players. Dropped Paula Rives.
Decent keeper core. Need complementary pieces — a strong women's player and depth.
New Jersey 5s
3 players kept
✅ SET
Kept Anna Leigh Waters (2071 ELO — #1 overall), Will Howells, Noe Khlif. Need 3.
ALW is the best player in pickleball. Period. Build around her and this team is instantly competitive. Dropped Dizon and Humberg to free up spots.
Orlando Squeeze
3 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Milan Rane, Lacy Schneemann, Federico Staksrud. Need 3. Dropped Dylan Frazier (1727).
Frazier to the free agent pool is huge news for other teams. Orlando betting on their remaining core.
Palm Beach Royals
3 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Tina Pisnik, Sofia Sewing, Dekel Bar. Need 3 players. Expansion team — first draft.
Brand new franchise building from the draft. Three solid keepers but need 3 more. Exciting blank canvas.
St. Louis Shock
3 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Kate Fahey, Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio. Need 3. Dropped Anna Bright (1803) and Judit Castillo.
Dropping Anna Bright is THE story of keeper day. She's the biggest name in the free agent pool. Shock betting on chemistry over star power.
Utah Black Diamonds
3 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Kept Allyce Jones, Etta Tuionetoa, Connor Garnett. Need 3. Dropped Yates Johnson, Tyler Loong, Chloe Igleski.
Cleaned house. Three keeper core is young and hungry. Need veteran additions in the draft.
Brooklyn Pickleball Team
6 players kept
✅ SET
Kept Riley Newman, Hannah Blatt, Jackie Kawamoto, Rachel Rohrabacher. Need 2.
Newman is elite. Four keepers gives them the most flexibility — only need 2 draft picks. Can target specific needs.
Carolina Hogs
4 players kept
✅ SET
Kept Ava Ignatowich, Angie Walker, James Delgado, DJ Young. Need 2.
Four keepers with solid balance. Just need 2 complementary pieces. Comfortable draft position.
Los Angeles Mad Drops
4 players kept
✅ SET
Kept Catherine Parenteau, Ben Johns (1959 ELO), Jade Kawamoto, Max Freeman. Need 2. Dropped Safdar, Burrows.
Ben Johns + Parenteau is arguably the best duo in the league. Four keepers, only need depth. Luxury draft position.
Las Vegas Night Owls
5 players kept
✅ SET
Kept 5 players — most in the league. Only need 1 draft pick.
Most complete roster heading into the draft. Just need one piece to round it out. Can swing for a specific fit.
Nashville Chefs
0 players kept
🔴 BUYER
Need to draft to fill roster gaps.
Will be active on draft day to complete their roster.

🎯 Mock Draft — Top 5 Picks

Our Sheet Rating™-based projections for how the first picks could go. PROJECTION

Pick 1
Anna Bright (1803 ELO ↑)
The consensus #1 free agent. Former St. Louis star, ELO trending UP. Peak of 1931 — she's still ascending. Every team needing a women's franchise player will target her first.
Pick 2
Jorja Johnson (1787 ELO)
Dropped by Dallas despite being JW Johnson's sister. Second-highest ELO in the free agent pool. Elite doubles player — any team needing women's talent jumps here.
Pick 3
Dylan Frazier (1727 ELO)
Best men's player available. Dropped by Orlando. At 1727, he's a legit starter on any team. Teams like Phoenix and SoCal rebuilding from scratch will covet him.
Pick 4
Lea Jansen (1698 ELO ↑)
Columbus dropped her despite a 1698 rating trending up. Experienced, proven, and ELO says she's getting better. Steal of the draft if she falls past pick 3.
Pick 5
Jack Sock (1639 ELO)
Former ATP star, Phoenix dropped him. Tennis crossover appeal + solid ELO. A team wanting attention and competitiveness could grab him early.

Full mock draft with team-specific picks coming as draft order is confirmed. Try the simulator →

🔥 Key Storylines to Watch

💣 Anna Bright — The #1 Free Agent Nobody Expected

St. Louis dropped the biggest name in the pool. At 1803 ELO (trending UP, peak 1931), Anna Bright is the consensus top pick. She'll transform whatever team drafts her. The question isn't IF she goes first — it's which team gets the pick.

🔥 SoCal & Phoenix: Building From Ashes

SoCal dropped their ENTIRE roster. Phoenix kept only Jessie Irvine. Combined, they need 11 players. These two teams will dominate the first two rounds and reshape the league. It's the most aggressive rebuild strategy in MLP history.

📉 Columbus Made The Hardest Call

The Sliders have the highest avg keeper ELO (1830) — Parris Todd, Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger are elite. But they dropped Lea Jansen (1698, trending up). Sometimes the math forces impossible choices. Their loss is someone's draft-day gift.

👀 66 Open Spots, 11 Days To Go

With 54 players kept and 66 roster spots to fill, more than half the league's rosters will be new faces on draft day. This isn't a tweak — it's a transformation. The 2026 MLP season will look radically different from 2025.

💰 The First 28 Picks Are Starters ($10K Min)

Draft structure matters: the first 28 picks fill starting roster spots at $10K minimum bid. The last 38 fill 5th/6th slots at $1K minimum. Teams picking early get the proven talent. Teams picking late get depth plays and upside bets.

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