Mad Drops Dominate Daytona: MLP Shakeups and Statement Wins

Major League Pickleball’s Daytona Beach stop delivered fireworks—and perhaps its biggest surprise of the season—as the LA Mad Drops surged from mid-table mediocrity to title contention. With dominant showings against league leaders St. Louis and Texas, LA finished the weekend undefeated, powered by elite singles play and standout performances from Parenteau and Kawamoto. Meanwhile, other top contenders faltered—St. Louis dropped their first match of the year, and New Jersey fell to a feisty Utah squad in a DreamBreaker stunner.

Daytona’s four-day grind was packed with chaos, upsets, and a carousel of bench players filling in for stars, exposing both depth and dysfunction across rosters. Chicago swapped Vivienne David for Glozman in a move that raised eyebrows, while SoCal spiraled, losing every match including one to Texas’ bench squad. At the bottom of the standings, Carolina finally pulled off a win, while the once-steady NJ 5’s now face questions after dropping key matches shorthanded. Across the board, bench strategy, team chemistry, and paddle issues (yes, the testing machine was reportedly stolen) turned Daytona into a true test of resilience.

As LA skyrocketed in the standings—now sitting fifth overall—this weekend proved that Premier League parity is real, and no roster can coast. With another waiver period on deck and San Clemente’s PPA Major looming, teams will be scrambling to fine-tune before the next grind. For fans, the lesson was clear: MLP is far from predictable, and if you’re underestimating the Mad Drops, you’re already too late.