A Resounding Success! The Hertz Major League Pickleball NYC in Central Park Recap
This past weekend, Major League Pickleball took over Wollman Rink at Central Park, hosted at the CityPickle location. Both Saturday and Sunday saw sold-out crowds, and the action was intense!
Though early-week reports called for rain, the weather held off, allowing uninterrupted play all weekend.
Top 10 Storylines
#1. The New Jersey 5s Take Over First Place
The 5s took 14 out of a possible 15 points over the weekend. Anna Leigh Waters went 10-0, with a 250-163 (+87) point differential, making her the clear MVP of the weekend.
The 5s had been catching a lot of flak, with people saying they only win Dreambreakers and can’t do much else. Well, the critics were proven wrong.
The deciding factor this weekend was the 5s men’s doubles team going 4-1. With Anna Leigh winning at an absurd 93% rate, the 5s have nearly always been guaranteed at least a Dreambreaker. If Will and Zane can continue to win even 50% of their men’s matches, the 5s will remain at the top of the leaderboard. Howells has improved dramatically over the last six months, now patiently waiting for the right opportunities to pounce, instead of forcing plays.
As an added bonus, Zane and Mari went 2-3, a 40% win rate. The 5s don’t need Zane and Mari to win for them to secure a victory, but those two extra wins are a nice confidence boost.
When your entire team is in the top six in player rankings, goes 32-8 overall, and has a whopping +202 point differential, you’re doing something right.
#2. Miami Pickleball Club Also Takes Over First Place
In the Challenger Level, Miami jumped SIX spots in one weekend, earning 14 out of 15 possible points.
Miami got off to a “slow start,” beating the Las Vegas Night Owls in a Dreambreaker, which only earned them two points. But from then on, they went on a 4-0 run, winning every match in regulation and leapfrogging into first place.
Eric Oncins may be the steal of the draft. Six months ago, he was still playing college tennis for Florida Gulf Coast, and this weekend, he was ranked as the second-best player in Challenger, going 8-2 with a +35 point differential.
His teammates Bobbi Oshiro, Milan Rane, and Noe Khlif are also ridiculously good. I fully expect Miami to make the leap to Premier Level next year, as this roster is stacked with talent. Coach Johnny Goldberg has them firing on all cylinders—look out!
#3. The NYC Atmosphere in Central Park Was Electric
The MLP staff built stands and bleachers, and there was a very cool VIP area in one of the world’s largest cities. Overall, MLP’s first foray into NYC can only be seen as a wild success.
Fans packed the stands, especially on Saturday and Sunday, both of which were sold out. While fans cheered for all their favorites, it seemed like the 5s and the Hustlers had the majority of support.
#4. The Carolina Pickleball Club Looked… Better
Carolina earned eight points from their five matches—not groundbreaking, but a step in the right direction. Ben Johns looked engaged and went 9-1 in his matches, with a +66 point differential.
The rest of the team fared a bit better than usual. Collin won six of ten, Jessie also won six of ten, and Brooke won three of ten. Carolina made it to two Dreambreakers, losing both 18-21 and 16-21.
While Carolina averaged 1.6 points per match in NYC, they only have seven more regular season matches. They’ll probably need to average at least 2.3 points per match to make the playoffs. If anyone can do it, it’s Ben Johns.
We’ll see if Carolina makes a trade before the deadline this Sunday to push for the playoffs. If they don’t, I don’t think they’ll make it.
#5. D.C. Struggled—Especially the Men
A lot of my commentary is based on expectations. D.C. earned eight points from five matches, the same as the Carolina Pickleball Club, who I just said did “better.”
I had higher expectations for D.C. In my mind, they were clearly either the best or second-best team going into MLP NYC. However, James Ignatowich and Dekel Bar struggled throughout the weekend.
James went 5-5 overall, with a -13 point differential. Dekel went 4-6 overall, with a -14 point differential. In men’s doubles, they only went 1-4, despite being one of the top teams in that event.
Here are their men’s doubles results from the weekend:
- Loss vs. Ben & Collin Johns: 12-25
- Loss vs. CJ Klinger & Jack Sock: 27-29
- Loss vs. Tyler Loong & Connor Garnett: 25-27
- Win vs. Jaume Martinez Vich & Riley Newman: 33-31
- Loss vs. Zane Navratil & Will Howells: 22-25
If D.C. is looking to secure a first-round playoff bye (3rd or 4th place), they’ll need to average 0.25 points more per match than the Texas Ranchers. With this inconsistency from the men, I don’t see that happening.
#6. Utah and Columbus Eliminated from Playoff Contention
Utah has 13 points in 18 matches, and the maximum they can reach is 28. With six teams above 28 points, Utah has been officially eliminated.
Technically, Columbus hasn’t been eliminated yet, but it’s close. They’ve earned 15 points in 18 matches, and the most they can reach is 30. D.C. and NY both currently have 30 points with multiple matches left, and they hold the fifth and sixth spots in the standings.
As soon as D.C. or NY earn a point, or Columbus doesn’t win a match in regulation, Columbus will be officially eliminated.
Utah was disappointing this weekend, especially Callie Smith, who, along with Alix, went 5-15 with a -75 point differential. The Black Diamonds lost six games in blowout fashion, and their last match of the weekend against the 5s was a disaster—losing 59-100, tying the worst MLP outing this year (Ranchers vs. Carolina, MLP SLC).
#7. Can Anyone Catch the NY Hustlers for the Last Playoff Spot?
The Hustlers hold sixth place in the standings, the last playoff spot. NY has been the most volatile team in MLP this year—one weekend they’re unstoppable, the next they can’t buy a win. There are four teams that could realistically catch them if they collapse in their final five matches:
Carolina and LA have the best chance to push for that last playoff spot.
As previously mentioned, I don’t think Carolina can push for the playoffs in their last seven matches if they don’t make a trade before the deadline.
LA looked VERY good early in the season, but then Thomas Wilson’s health issues sidelined him, and the team hasn’t played much since. Hopefully, Wilson is back to full strength soon, because he’s a fan favorite, and his presence is missed by players, fans, and everyone involved in the pro pickleball scene.
Orlando is an enigma. With such a strong roster, it’s baffling that they find themselves so low in the rankings. Some untimely illnesses and absences have dug them into this hole, but they’ll need a major turnaround to get back on track.
As for the AZ Drive, they’re on life support. Unless they can average 2.5 points per match in Vegas next month, they’re likely the next team to be eliminated from playoff contention.
#8. The Challenger Level is Wide Open in Terms of Playoff Contenders
The Challenger Level is only 55% of the way through the season, and mathematically, no team has been eliminated from playoff contention. However, the upcoming MLP Virginia Beach event will be crucial in shaping the playoff picture.
The only team currently averaging under one point per match is the Black Bears. Everyone else is averaging between 1.25 points per match (Florida) and 2 points per match (Miami). With the second-place SoCal Hard 8s at 1.85 points per match and the eighth-place Bay Area Breakers at 1.31, this truly is anyone’s game.
My predicted Challenger Level playoff teams as of today (in no particular order):
- Miami Pickleball Club
- SoCal Hard Eights
- Chicago Slice
- Atlanta Bouncers
- Brooklyn Aces
- Las Vegas Night Owls
#9. John Cincola Had a VERY Forgettable Weekend for the Frisco Pandas
I know Cincola recently sat out an event with an injury, but it seems like he might have come back too soon. I’m unsure of his current health, but his performance this weekend was far from his usual level.
Cincola’s stats: 0-10 in games, with a -65 point differential. It’s rare to see a team (Frisco) with a player in first place in the player standings (Ewa Radzikowska) and another player in last place (Cincola) in the same event.
Frisco only earned four points from their five matches. If Cincola had won even four of his ten matches, I think Frisco would have left NYC with at least eight or nine points.
Frisco and Cincola need to turn things around ASAP. They have SEVEN matches in Virginia Beach starting on Thursday, and if they continue on this path, the Pandas will be out of playoff contention quickly.
#10. The Brooklyn Aces Underperformed
Again, everything is relative to expectations. After winning the Mid-Season Tournament, Brooklyn hadn’t played at all leading up to this weekend. I had high hopes for them, but they underwhelmed, even with the support of hometown crowds.
Brooklyn only earned three points from their five matches. Pablo Tellez, arguably the best player in the Challenger Level on paper, went 5-5 with a -1 point differential. Lina had the roughest weekend, going 2-8 with a -32 point differential.
The Aces’ leaders need to step up in Virginia, where they’ll have six matches. A realistic goal for them would be to leave Virginia with at least 10 points. If they can achieve that, they’ll right the ship and be back in playoff contention.
