It’s Ok?

Itching for WPBL to start. August 1st, 2026 seems far away, but some recap for the uninitiated:

The Women's Professional Baseball League is about to start in the US. It is hosted in Springfield, IL, USA as a neutral site for the current 4 teams:

Boston (merch-green) - roster

New York (merch-teal) - roster

San Francisco (merch-purple) - roster

Los Angeles (merch-blue) - roster

Some highlights of the teams:

Details from back at tryouts last year:

Kelsie Whitmore of Savannah Bananas fame (first woman to play) will be playing for San Francisco. She was the first round first pick in the 2025 draft.

Danae Benites of the Loco Beach Coconuts will be playing for New York

There are 15 players over 30

The draft pulled players from a variety of countries:

Outside the US we have Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Australia, France, Venezuela, UK, and while it is under US occupation I wanna highlight it on its own: Puerto Rico.

There are a number of out queer players

Boston (5)

Paloma Benach (LHP - DC, USA)

Nadia Diaz (3B - NY, USA)

Stephanie Everett (LF - MD, USA)

Zoe Hicks (3B - CA)

Raine Padgham (RHP - BC, CA)

New York (4)

Denae Benites (Catcher - NV, USA)

Elodie Ciamarro (Catcher - Quebec, CA)

Beth Greenwood (Catcher - USA)

London Studer (1B - OH, USA)

San Francisco (6)

Kelsie Whitmore (RHP - CA, USA)

Jordan Eyester (CF - MI, USA)

Amanda Gianelloni (2B - LA, USA)

Liz Gilder (LHP - BC, CA)

Arwen McCullough (RHP - CA, USA)

Micaela Minner (1B - OH, USA, she's 40 btw! 😍)

Los Angeles (3)

Ashton Lansdell (3B - GA, USA)

Jamie Mackay (Catcher - CA, USA)

Luisa Hernandez (3B - Jalisco, MX)

From Commissioner Justine Siegal PhD:

"Across the USA and around the world, women have always played baseball. From backyard games with older siblings, to rec leagues across the country, women have found ways to play the sport they love. Baseball is America’s pastime, but the professional game hasn’t evolved to reflect the diversity of those who play, watch and love this sport. That’s about to change. A long time dream is coming into focus: a professional women’s baseball league for a new generation. The Women’s Pro Baseball League is here. We’re creating a stage where elite women’s baseball players have a place to shine, and establishing a pipeline for every girl who dreams of competing at the highest level one day. A league of their own, for the first time since the AAGPBL of the 1940s. This league is just one part of a larger cultural shift. Women in sports are finally getting the recognition they deserve. We’re at the beginning of a new chapter and it’s time for our athletes to write their story. 

What started as an idea is now a reality. We’re less than five months away from the WPBL’s opening day on August 1st, 2026 and already so much has happened. The world has taken notice of what we’re doing, and hundreds of thousands of people have tuned in to follow along. People just like you. Thank you for supporting this league. For supporting women in baseball. You’re a part of this. A part of history. The next chapter begins this August. We hope you’ll join us in making history."