The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is set to begin its inaugural season this summer in Springfield, Illinois, marking the first time a women’s professional baseball circuit has operated in the United States since the 1950s.
Teams representing Boston, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles will compete in a 30‑game schedule that runs through mid‑September, after which a two‑week playoff will determine the champion.
The league was co‑founded by Justine Siegal and Keith Stein, whose vision is to provide a professional pathway for female players and to revive the sport’s women’s roots that date back to the All‑American Girls Professional Baseball League of the 1940s.
More than 600 players from ten countries tried out for roughly 120 draft slots, and the selected athletes will compete in seven‑inning games twice a week on 15‑player rosters using aluminum bats.
A New Era for Women’s Baseball
All games will be staged at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, a venue that previously hosted the historic All‑American Girls Professional Baseball League, linking the new venture to a storied local baseball heritage.
The season will be streamed on ESPN Select and the league’s YouTube channel, bringing women’s baseball to a national audience and showcasing standout talents such as Mo'ne Davis, Ayami Sato and Kelsie Whitmore.