From new rules to top available players to my predictions (and a few surprises), here's everything you can expect for Sunday's MLP Draft.
The 2025 Major League Pickleball (MLP) Draft is around the corner. Here is everything related to the draft, including logistical details, a list of the players available, and top players ranked.
The MLP Premier Level Draft will take place on Sunday, March 2nd, at noon EST. I expect it to take close to three hours to complete from start to finish.
The Challenger Level draft will take place on Monday, March 3rd. Since there are only 11 roster slots available in the Challenger Level draft, that will not be covered in this article.
Let's get into the action!
General rules leading into the draft
In January, MLP announced new competition structure rules, which was a lot. A shortened version of the rules:
- Roster sizes in Premier Level have moved from four roster slots to six
- Each team had to drop at least one player from their 2024 roster (player keeper and drops were announced on February 18th)
- The introduction to side-out scoring in MLP
- All players acquired in 2025 will be allowed to be kept for three years
- Whatever dollar amount a team bids for a draft slot, means they owe that dollar amount to the league
For a full list of the rules, visit our article:
Erik Tice
New rules this week
Three new rules were put in place this week
With less than a week before the draft, MLP implemented three rules related to the draft on Sunday:
- All teams must have four roster spots filled before any other team can bid on a slot for their fifth player
- There are going to be four Premier Level waiver periods throughout the year,
- In the Premier Level waiver periods, a team is able to “steal” another teams’ top 5th or 6th players and drop one of their top four players.
For details about these changes, check out our full article:
Erik Tice
A look at the overall draft landscape
Quick Facts
- There will be 96 players in the Premier Level in 2025 - this is DOUBLING the amount of players from last year
- With all the keepers announced, there are currently 40 players on rosters, and 56 will be drafted on Sunday
- Of the 40 players on rosters in Premier, half are men and half are women
- There are a total of 147 UPA signed players for the 2025 season, with a total of 120 roster spots - this means there will be a total of 27 players who are not on teams and will be eligible for the alternate player pool at events
- 69 of the 147 are women - 9 women will not be rostered
- 78 of the 147 are men - 18 men will not be rostered
My Top 10 Available Women
- Lea Jansen
Doubles DUPR - 5.97
Most Recent MLP Team - NY Hustlers (2024)
When it comes to pure talent right now, Jansen is definitely the best woman player available in the draft. She can play both the right and the left in mixed doubles and gender doubles. With sideout scoring being implemented this year, her versatility as a player has never been more valuable. I believe she will be a top five pick in the 2025 MLP draft.
- Kate Fahey
Doubles DUPR - 5.78
Most Recent MLP Team - St. Louis Shock (2024)
Fahey is ELITE in singles (top 5 easily) and getting better in doubles. She also brings that DAWG teammate mentality and is an asset to any MLP team that drafts her. I think she will take a big step forward in doubles in 2025 and is the second-best player on the women’s side in this draft.
- Vivienne David
Doubles DUPR - 5.89
Most Recent MLP Team - Orlando Squeeze (2024)
Viv is a very good right side woman - easily top 10. However, there is some recency bias going against her. If this was one year ago today, Viv would be going first overall for a lot of dollars. She has taken a drop in play ever since her normal partner, Thomas Wilson, took ill last year. Viv has the talent, it’s just that she doesn’t have the recent results.
- Callie Smith
Doubles DUPR - 5.91
Most Recent MLP Team - Columbus Sliders (2024)
Callie is a steady left side women’s doubles player. She didn’t have a great 2024 MLP season, finishing in the bottom half of Premier Level women in nearly every category, playing for the Black Diamonds and Sliders. However, how much of this was on her versus the partners she played with, remains to be seen. She doesn’t really have a two handed backhand roll dink and instead chooses to one hand slice every backhand dink, which is her achilles heel. Either way, she is still one of the four or five players with a ton of MLP Premier Level experience, so I expect her to go early in the draft.
- Genie Erokhina
Doubles DUPR - 5.72
Most Recent MLP Team - Atlanta Bouncers (2024) - no, I do not count her never playing on Utah
Erokhina is a very good women's eft side player, with a bunch of reach. She plays left in women’s and can play right or left in mixed. Erokhina does thrive in environments where her partners help pick her up and keep her kind of steady, emotionally. She needs to go to a team that has positive teammates and a good team environment.
- Genie Bouchard
Doubles DUPR - 5.39
Most Recent MLP Team - Utah Black Diamonds (2024) - Genie played in the last event in the Black Diamonds’ 2024 campaign
Genie is getting better and better and seems to be taking her training very seriously. If you had told me that I would have even considered her in the top 10 available women for the 2025 draft even as late as August, 2024, I would have called you a crazy person. Her game is improving and if she puts in the work, I could easily see her being a top 25 woman by the end of the 2025 year.
- Tammy Emmrich
Doubles DUPR - 5.44
Last MLP Team - Frisco (now Nashville) Pandas (2024)
Tammy played on both the Frisco Pandas and the Florida Smash in 2024. She was a very good Challenger Level player throughout 2024, and she is known as one of the nicest people in pro pickleball. Emmrich likes to play the right side, so it would be ideal to pair her with a left sided woman.
- Samantha Parker
Doubles DUPR - 5.32
Last MLP Team - Parker subbed for the Bay Area Breakers in the 2024 Mid-Season Tournament
Parker has had the most success in singles, but she is a good doubles player as well. She likes to play the left side in women’s and I would bet she can play both sides in mixed. She has very little MLP experience, but she is a competitor, which was showcased with her D1 college tennis experience.
Erik Tice
- Victoria DiMuzio
Doubles DUPR - 5.98
Last MLP Team - DiMuzio has never played MLP - she played in the Canadian National League in 2024 (DiMuzio has only ever played 2 PPA tournaments in her career, to my knowledge)
Crazy fact - DiMuzio has the highest DUPR out of all available women. Yes, her DUPR is higher than Lea Jansen’s, which is just wild. I watched her and Amanda Rosati beat Judit Castillo and Ewa Radzikowska in The Masters earlier this year. I also got to watch her play in person in the Mesa Cup last week. DiMuzio is my pick for breakout player of the year in 2025 on the women’s side. She recently moved to Delray Beach and is training every day, at least twice a day, to become great. I think she has what it takes.
- Allison Phillips
Doubles DUPR - 5.51
Most Recent MLP Team - Frisco Pandas (2024)
Look, the Pandas were bad in the first half of the 2024 season. Cincola was paired with Phillips and they did not have good results. I think if Alli had the right environment, she could thrive in certain circumstances. She has the experience to help her through the ebbs and flows. Phillips has been around the game for a while and that experience is going to help her get drafted into Premier Level this year.
List of ALL available signed UPA women:
My top 10 available men
- Augie Ge
Doubles DUPR - 6.61
Most Recent MLP Team - Dallas Flash (2024)
Augie came through in the clutch for Dallas toward the end of the championships. Shoot, he beat Will Howells and Anna Leigh Waters in the deciding mixed doubles match of the finals with Hurricane Tyra Black. I know Dallas was offered over six figures as a trade for Ge, so he will be in high demand.
- Riley Newman
Doubles DUPR - 6.83
Most Recent MLP Team - Columbus Sliders (2024) - Technically, he was traded to the NY Hustlers in the off season, but never played for them
Riley is still an elite guy, even at the age of 32. He just cost NY too much to keep at $275k. Someone will be able to pick him up for much less than that in this year’s draft. Newman could be the missing puzzle piece for a team in need of a left side guy (Texas, LA, D.C., NY, or SoCal).
- Jay Devilliers
Doubles DUPR - 6.628
Most Recent MLP Team - Columbus Sliders (technically, the Phoenix Flames traded for him and then dropped him in the off season, but he last played for the Sliders)
Devilliers had a fall in level toward the middle/end of 2024. He had to have knee surgery to clean up some issues, but has been playing and moving incredibly in 2025. I would easily consider him in the top 3-5 left side guys available in this draft.
- Quang Duong
Doubles DUPR - 6.612
Most Recent MLP Team - Texas Ranchers (2024)
Duong had to be dropped because he was a mid-season waiver wire pickup in 2024. He showed signs of growth and brilliance throughout the MLP season, helping the team make the playoffs. However, he is a very one dimensional player and that dimension is very simple - hit the ball hard. ALL. THE. TIME. Duong can create his own offense for days, but he needs to work on his soft game and letting the game come to him a little more. Once that happens, he will be top of this list. Many teams will be bidding for him and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go first or second in the draft, in terms of men.
- James Ignatowich
Doubles DUPR - 6.76
Most Recent MLP Team - D.C. Pickleball Team
Three weeks ago when I made my wayyyyy too early top 10 list, I had Big Papa Jimmy (BPJ) at #2. I have had some time to reconsider. Yes, James helped D.C. to a playoff berth in 2024. However, he is always a health risk. In the past year alone he has dealt with cramping, shoulder issues, and now he is dealing with what seems like chronic lower back pain. Additionally, here is a CRAZY stat - the last time James won gold was in August. OF 2023! He won men’s doubles gold with Tyson McGuffin and hasn’t won gold since. He is not playing up to his previous standards over the last six months. He has the talents, but not the results.
- Noe Khlif
Doubles DUPR - 6.445
Most Recent MLP Team - Miami Pickleball Club (Couldn’t be kept due to being picked up in a waiver period)
Khlif is one of the names on the rise in 2025. He played great for Miami last year as a right side for Eric Oncins. He has already earned medals in two events this year on the left with Rafa Hewett. His ability to create his own offense is my biggest question mark. He moves great, is super steady dinking, and has elite hands. He just needs to continue adding more attacks and he could be elite.
- Jack Sock
Doubles DUPR - 6.56
Most Recent MLP Team - NY Hustlers
Sock is obviously one of the most gifted athletes in the sport. For me, it comes down to a matter of want to, and he is showing signs that he does, in fact, want to win. I saw him live in Tucson and Mesa on the PPA Tour this year. He was moving way better, looked way more engaged, and looked like he was having fun playing pickleball again. This is a scary thought for his opponents. When Jack is having fun, he plays well.
- Michael Loyd
Doubles DUPR - 6.294
Most Recent MLP Team - Frisco (Nashville) Pandas
Loyd got brought in to replace Cincola in 2024 and helped the Pandas squeeeeaakkkk into the playoffs. He is VERY good in mixed doubles and ELITE in singles. He is getting better at men’s doubles and trains at The Lab in Austin, where he gets excellent reps. I think he makes his name well known in the doubles world this year.
- Anderson Scarpa
Doubles DUPR - 6.375
Most Recent MLP Team - Las Vegas Night Owls (Scarpa subbed for NY, Texas, and Atlanta in the Premier Level in the second half of the 2024 season)
Scarpa is a utility knife. Need someone with a high floor that won’t make errors in men’s on either side? Scarpa is him. Need someone who can play big in mixed and has a funky style of play that throws opponents off? Scarpa is him. Need someone who is good enough as a singles player to go 2-2 in nearly every Dreambreaker he plays against a Premier Level 2nd guy? Scarpa is him. He can do it all, and do it all at a high level.
- Donald Young
Doubles DUPR - 6.33
Most Recent MLP Team - Florida Smash
Donald is becoming a force in doubles now, which is scary for opponents. I have talked to a lot of players in the last few months and every single one of them says Donald hits drives as hard as anyone, and everyone lists him in the top five. If he can find himself on a Premier Level team with a very good left side player who can continue helping him develop his game, there is no limit for him.
The list of ALL available UPA signed men:
My predicted first 24 picks - in order
This is obviously just for fun, as we have no idea which teams are going to spend what in the draft.
I am doing the first 24 picks, as that will round out the top four players for every team. Going beyond that seems silly at this point, with the new rules about keepers and waivers. I don’t think teams are going to invest in their 5th and 6th spots nearly as much as before this rule was implemented.
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Top 24 picks, in order, by draft slot, and how much they will cost:
Remember, after every team has four rostered players, each team will then start bidding on their fifth and sixth roster spots. So 32 more players will join Premier Level after 24 roster spots are filled.
Team by Team Analysis
Order of teams is alphabetical
Atlanta Bouncers
Current Roster Cost: $0
Keepers: Jaume Martinez Vich, Vivian Glozman, and Todd Fought
Biggest Team Needs:
- A woman who plays the left side in women’s doubles
My opinion on Atlanta’s spending budget: $$$$
Potential Targets in the draft:
- Lea Jansen - best woman in doubles that is available
- Kate Fahey - Can play both sides and is getting better on the left
- Genie Erokhina - very good left sider and has played for the Bouncers before
- Angie Walker - good left sider in women’s that has played for the Bouncers before
Carolina Pickleball Club
Current Roster Cost: $450,000
Keepers: Ben Johns, Kaitlyn Christian, Collin Johns
Biggest Team Needs:
- A woman who plays the right side
My opinion on Carolina’s spending budget: $
Potential Targets:
- Jessie Irvine - played for Carolina last year before being traded and gets along with all the players currently on the team
- Vivienne David - one of the best right side players available
- Genie Bouchard - knows Kaitlyn from pro tennis and could learn a ton from the Johns brothers
Chicago Slice
Current Roster Cost: $0
Keepers: None
Biggest Team Needs:
- Breathing pickleball players 🤣
- Because the overall level for available women drops off more than the men, I would target picking up two women before getting even one man.
My opinion on Chicago’s spending budget: $
Potential Targets:
For most teams, I have specific players listed, but that doesn’t make sense for Chicago, since they don’t have anyone on their roster right now. I expect Chicago to wait a while in the free agency draft and play “Moneyball”, trying to find some good players who are undervalued. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chicago start their season with a team that costs less than $100,000 to the league.
With Thirty Five Capital owning a majority share of the franchise, I wouldn’t be surprised to see players like Eric Roddy, or Carlos Di Laura (Chicago’s coach in 2024) targeted.
Columbus Sliders
Current Roster Cost: $358,500
Keepers: Andrei Daescu, Parris Todd, and CJ Klinger
Biggest Team Needs:
- A woman who plays the left side in both gender and mixed doubles
My opinion on Columbus’ spending budget: $$ - they’ve already spent a lot creating this new team
Potential Targets:
- Lea Jansen - good player on either side and can definitely play the left side in mixed very well
- Callie Smith - is a good left side player and can play left in mixed - maybe Columbus drops her to pick her back up?
- Victoria DiMuzio - WHO?!?! A recently signed UPA player that likes the left side. Would need to train with the top level pros, but if Columbus waits a while to pick a left side woman, DiMuzio could be a good project for the long term
Note, the Columbus Sliders recently changed their logo:
D.C. Pickleball Team
Current Roster Cost: $383,500
Keepers: Rachel Rohrabacher, Jackie Kawamoto, and Dekel Bar
Biggest Team Needs:
- A guy to compliment Dekel Bar. Dekel can play the left and right side well in men’s doubles. While Jackie can play the left in mixed doubles, she prefers the right.
My opinion on D.C.’s spending budget: $$$
Potential Targets:
- James Ignatowich - the most obvious answer - D.C. made the playoffs and had a good year last year. The $250k price tag is the reasoning for dropping James, not really his play
- Jay Devilliers - Devilliers is playing well right now and can play both sides.
- Michael Loyd - Loyd is also in Austin and plays a very good left side - will have to bring his level of play up at the Premier Level, but would be a cheaper option
- Riley Newman - Has played for D.C. and with Jackie Kawamoto before. This would make a ton of sense.
Dallas Flash
Current Roster Cost: $430,000
Keepers: JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson, Hurricane Tyra Black
Biggest Team Needs:
- A right side guy
My opinion on Dallas’ spending budget: $$$$
Potential Targets:
- Augie Ge - Duh! I know the Flash want to keep Ge. My sources tell me they got multiple high value trade offers for Ge and turned them all down. I’d be surprised if Dallas didn’t just pick him up
- Donald Young - If, for some unknown reason, the Flash can’t get Augie, I think they wait a while and get a cheaper lefty with upside potential. Additionally, Donald brings some energy, and the Flash could use a little more of that
LA Mad Drops
Current Roster Cost: $315,000
Keepers: Catherine Parenteau, Jade Kawamoto, and Hunter Johnson
Biggest Team Needs:
- A left side guy in both men’s and mixed. While Hunter is certainly capable of playing the left in men’s, I think his overall game is better when he is on the right.
My opinion on D.C.’s spending budget: $$$$
Potential Targets :
- James Ignatowich - Ignatowich has done well with Jade in previous MLPs, and he is a good left side option - his health is a question mark throughout a whole season
- Quang Duong - QD came out of nowhere for the Ranchers, but had to be dropped. He plays a fast-paced, somewhat erratic left side and causes chaos
- Riley Newman - Newman and Parenteau used to be partners in 2023, and they broke up, so Catherine could play the beginning of 2024 with Jack Sock. I wonder if they would be willing to play together, because I think he fits nicely on this team, while he ALSO had success with Jade in previous MLP events
Miami Pickleball Club
Current Roster Cost: $0
Keepers: Milan Rane and Eric Oncins
Dropped: Bobbi Oshiro and Noe Khlif
Biggest Team Needs:
- A woman to play with Millie. Millie can play both left and right side in gender doubles, and prefers the right in mixed doubles. I would think a woman who can play both sides is best for Miami
- A right side guy in men’s, and it could even be a lefty if the woman they pick up will play left in mixed doubles
My opinion on Miami’s spending budget: $$ - I don’t think they will spend a bunch. They will wait until spending is down below $100k per draft slot to take players. Additionally, I think they like the idea of players living near Miami, and my suggested potential targets reflect this.
Potential Targets:
- Victoria DiMuzio - I have already mentioned her once, but she lives in Delray Beach, has committed to pickleball full-time and has a 5.98 DUPR
- Dominique Shaefer - has had success in singles on the PPA Tour, not so much in doubles, but I know she is training full-time and rapidly improving
- Hannah Blatt - Blatt is training full-time in Florida now and has been a while. She has seen rapid improvement and could continue to rise
3 men:
- Noe Khlif - Solid player on both sides with a high floor and working on adding offense - played for Miami and had to be dropped because he was picked up off waivers. Miami may want to run it back
- Roscoe Bellamy - Roscoe was drafted by Miami in 2024, and dropped in the first waiver period. He has ties to the club and has gotten significantly better since early 2024
- Ryan Fu - James Ignatowich’s protégé is probably better on the right side and lives in the Delray Beach area and could practice with most of the team regularly
New Jersey 5s
Current Roster Cost: $450,000
Keepers: Anna Leigh Waters, Zane Navratil, Will Howells
Biggest Team Needs:
- A woman to play with Anna Leigh
My opinion on New Jersey’s spending budget: $$$$$
Potential Targets: There are really only 3 women I could see here
- Lea Jansen - best woman in doubles that is available and has played on the 5s with Anna Leigh before
- Kate Fahey - Could the 5s go after the Shock’s drop? This would be a VERY interesting get
- Vivienne David - the best pure right sider available and a top 10 right sider in all of pickleball
New York Hustlers
Current Roster Cost: $0
Keepers: None
Biggest Team Needs:
- Breathing pickleball players 🤣 - yes, I made the same joke twice
- Because the overall level for available women drops off more than the men, I would target picking up two women before getting even one man.
My opinion on New York’s spending budget: $$$ - Even though they dropped everyone, I do know they made a TON of money in the trade window, so they have some cash to spend
Potential Targets:
I actually think they may target all three players they drop. Both Jack and Riley can be had for much less than their original cost to keep ($275k apiece). I just don’t think there is any chance NY gets Lea back because she is definitely going to be a top 2-3 pickup, in my opinion.
Orlando Squeeze
Current Roster Cost: $398,000
Keepers: Federico Staksrud, Dylan Frazier, andLacy Schneemann
Biggest Team Needs:
- A right side woman
My opinion on Orlando’s spending budget: $$$
Potential Targets:
- Vivienne David - the Squeeze could definitely pick Viv back up. I have her as the third best available woman, but she may go for more than the $140,000 it was going to cost to keep her - time will tell
- Lea Jansen - best woman in doubles that is available and has played on the 5s with Anna Leigh before
- Kate Fahey - Could the 5s go after the Shock’s drop? This would be a VERY interesting get
Phoenix Flames
Current Roster Cost: $306,000
Keepers: Meghan Dizon, Tyson McGuffin, and Jessie Irvine
Biggest Team Needs:
- A left side guy to pair with Tyson
My opinion on Phoenix’s spending budget: $$$$$
Potential Targets in the “free agency draft”:
- Quang Duong - Rumor has it Quang is headed to Proton in two months, after his Selkirk sponsorship is over. This would make a ton of sense
- Donald Young - I know, I know. I said left side guy. But Donald is one of Proton's best sponsored player, so he would make sense here
- Jay Devilliers - He can play a very good left side and compliments Tyson well. The might get him cheaper than what it was going to cost them to keep him
SoCal Hard Eights
Current Roster Cost: $0
Keepers: Irina Tereschenko, and Judit Castillo
Biggest Team Needs:
- A left side guy to pair with Erik
My opinion on SoCal’s spending budget: $$$
Potential Targets in the “free agency draft”:
- Jay Devilliers - Jay could easily fit the need of SoCal - he is moving well after his knee surgery last year. He is a veteran and this team is mostly made up of vets, so he seems to fit
- Jack Sock - Sock made the playoffs with the Hustlers last year and he does play the left exclusively. He might be a cheaper option than some of the higher priced left side guys this time around
- Michael Loyd - He can play a very good left side and likes to create chaos. He has a very similar game to Max, who Erik has been playing well with up until this point
St. Louis Shock
Current Roster Cost: $490,000
Keepers: Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, and Gabe Tardio
Biggest Team Needs:
- A woman to play with Anna
My opinion on St. Louis’ spending budget: $$$$$
Potential Targets: There are really only 2 women I could see here
- Kate Fahey - The Shock could just go back and get Kate if they don’t care about cost.
- Lea Jansen - best woman in doubles that is available and has played well with Hayden in mixed doubles in 2024
Texas Ranchers
Current Roster Cost: $491,500
Keepers: Christian Alshon, Etta Wright, and Tina Pisnik
Biggest Team Needs:
- A guy to compliment Christian Alshon - Alshon is one of the most versatile players, being able to play the right and left at a high level
My opinion on Texas’ spending budget: $$$$
Potential Targets:
- Quang Duong - QD came out of nowhere for the Ranchers, but had to be dropped. He plays a fast-paced, somewhat erratic left side and causes chaos - they may look to run it back
- Riley Newman - Newman and Alshon played very well for D.C. in MLP in 2023 - maybe they could find that magic again?
- James Ignatowich - I don’t think Ignatowich and Alshon really get along, but I could be wrong on that. If they could get past the personality conflicts, I think they could be a formidable team
Utah Black Diamonds
Current Roster Cost: $99,500
Keepers: Connor Garnett, Tyler Loong, and Alix Truong
Biggest Team Needs:
- A woman to play with Alix and can play the left side in mixed with Tyler
My opinion on Utah’s spending budget: $
Potential Targets:
- Genie Bouchard - She has gotten so much better in the past year and if she continues to take it seriously, could actually be a good option
- Callie Smith - I guess Utah could get Callie back after trading her away toward the end of the year? Her and Alix were not a good women’s team, though.
- Genie Erokhina - Plays a good left side in women’s doubles and could probably do so in mixed.
