The 2026 Major League Pickleball (MLP) playoffs begin on Friday in Dallas, with eight teams battling for the final four places in the quarterfinals. Teams seeded fifth through 12th will compete in best-of-three playoff series, while the top four seeds have already secured direct entry into the quarterfinals in Newport Beach, beginning August 14.
The first-round matchups feature Brooklyn Pickleball Team (No. 5) against SoCal Hard Eights (No. 10), Dallas Flash (No. 6) against Las Vegas Night Owls (No. 11), Palm Beach Royals (No. 7) against Chicago Slice (No. 12), and Texas Ranchers (No. 8) against Atlanta Bouncers (No. 9).
According to analyst Jim Kloss, Brooklyn enters its series as the clear favourite, particularly after SoCal lost star player Armaan Bhatia to a knee injury. Brooklyn’s lineup, led by Rachel Rohrabacher, Jackie Kawamoto, Riley Newman and Christian Alshon, is expected to have the advantage in both doubles and mixed doubles.
Dallas also heads into its matchup with momentum after strong performances late in the regular season. Led by JW Johnson, Augie Ge, Alix Truong and Danni-Elle Townsend, Dallas will face a Las Vegas team that impressed in Orlando but now faces a much tougher challenge.
Palm Beach Royals take on a confident Chicago Slice squad that secured its playoff place with two crucial DreamBreaker victories in Orlando. While Palm Beach remains the favourite on paper, Chicago’s recent form has made it one of the most dangerous lower seeds entering the postseason.
The closest matchup is expected to be between Texas Ranchers and Atlanta Bouncers. Kloss believes Atlanta has the best chance of producing an upset, thanks to its experienced lineup featuring Jay Devilliers, Jessie Irvine and Jaume Martinez Vich. However, Texas is still favoured if it performs to its potential.
The winners of the four first-round series will advance to Newport Beach, where regular-season leaders New Jersey 5s, St. Louis Shock, LA Mad Drops, and Columbus Sliders are waiting after earning first-round byes.
Playoff analysis and predictions based on Jim Kloss’ preview of the 2026 Major League Pickleball playoffs.
Written by Aditi Jain