A historic comeback for women’s baseball
The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is set to open its inaugural season in Springfield, Illinois, marking the first organized professional women’s baseball competition in the United States since the 1950s.
Four franchises representing Boston, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles will compete, each drawing talent from a global pool of players spanning ten nations, including the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Curaçao, Australia, France and England.
Co‑founders Justine Siegal and Keith Stein, both veterans of baseball’s front offices, say the league will play a 30‑game regular season followed by playoffs, with all contests held at Robin Roberts Stadium.
Games will be broadcast on ESPN Select and the WPBL’s own YouTube channel, while the league also announced plans for a developmental league in 2027 that will remain rooted in Springfield.
Team identities draw on the legacies of women trailblazers such as Dorothy Irene Height and Lizzie Murphy, and rosters will consist of 15 players who will wield aluminum bats in seven‑inning contests twice a week.
Among the notable athletes slated to appear are Mo’ne Davis, Ayami Sato and Kelsie Whitmore, who bring diverse international experience to the diamond.
The league’s leadership hopes the initiative will cement a sustainable professional structure for women’s baseball and inspire future generations.