We’re 2 weeks into the Major League Pickleball season, and already the events are having major implications on the playoff picture.
The St. Louis Shock have underperformed relative to preseason expectations, and the team faces an important home event this week that is sure to have a big impact on their seeding at the end of the regular season. The Shock are the only team in the field this week that has also competed in the first two events, so their season will be 60% of the way completed after this week (all 20 teams in the league will play in 5 events over the course of the summer).
There are 11 teams participating in MLP St. Louis, which starts Thursday from Chaifetz Arena on the Saint Louis University campus. The arena holds more than 10,000 spectators and the Shock franchise has been very active in promoting the event locally, so it will be interesting to see how full the stands are this weekend. It was one of the most well-attended events in 2025.
Source: https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/news/major-league-pickleball-st-louis-2026-pools-schedule-viewing-guide-storylines/