MLP announced Oct 28 that the Houston Hammers will join as its 21st team for 2027, under a new ownership group led by Hugh Zhang. The announcement is at Major League Pickleball, with coverage at The Dink.
The franchise sat out 2026 and was most recently the Nashville Chefs. Plans include hosting a 2027 MLP event in Houston, keeping a senior Champions Series team, and fielding a Jr. Hammers team. Roster details are still to come.
Why it matters: Expansion after a season of shakeout talk is a signal, and Houston is a huge market for it. The open question is who actually plays for them. A team that keeps changing cities and names now has to build something fans in one city can follow.