The Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) began its inaugural season on August 1, 2026 at Robin Roberts Stadium in the historic city for women’s baseball Springfield, Illinois. Over six weeks, four teams such as the Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights, and San Francisco Firebells competed for the best record.
Each team is named after a pioneering woman who broke barriers in multiple fields such as medicine, sports, civil rights, and community service. The Boston Hunters are named after Harriot Kezia Hunt, an American doctor and Boston’s first woman physician. The Los Angeles Queens honor Lizzie Murphy, widely known as the “Queen of Baseball,” who was the woman to play in an exhibition game against a Major League team. The New York Heights are named after Dorothy Height, a prominent African-American civil rights activist and president of the National Council of Negro Women. The San Francisco Firebells honor Lillie Hitchcock Coit, one of America’s first honorary women firefighters and patron of San Francisco volunteer firefighters.
With the conclusion of the inaugural regular season, the San Francisco Firebells finished in first place with a 10-5 record. The Los Angeles Queens and New York Heights both finished 8-7, while the Boston Hunters finished 4-11.
After the regular season, all four teams advanced to the postseason. The San Francisco Firebells swept the Boston Hunters in their best-of-three semifinal series, while the Los Angeles Queens defeated the New York Heights in three games. In the championship series, San Francisco and Los Angeles competed in a best-of-five series for the WPBL’s first championship title.
In the inaugural championship, the Queens took the first two games with 7-6 and 11-7 wins over the Firebells to take a 2-0 series lead. San Francisco made a comeback, winning the next two games 10-5 and 17-4 to tie the series at 2-2. In a winner-take-all Game 5, the Los Angeles Queens claimed the title and crown with a 2-0 shutout victory.
“I believed in myself and kept challenging myself, no matter what,” said LA Queens pitcher and Championship Series MVP, Ayami Soto. “And yesterday, something truly unbelievable happened. LA Queens are the first-ever WPBL Champions!!”
It has been 72 years since a professional women’s baseball league has been in the United States since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League ended in 1954. However, women’s organized baseball began in 1866, only less than 25 years after men’s organized baseball began in the mid-1840s.
Our nation’s pastime has history dating back to 1845 when Alexander Cartwright, “The Father of Modern Baseball” as described in his plaque in Cooperstown National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum created the foundational aspects of baseball. From setting bases 90 feet apart, establishing the length of the game to 9 innings, and structuring a team composed of nine players.
Our Father of Modern Baseball also helped found one of baseball’s earliest influential teams, the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York on September 23, 1845. From one small baseball club in New York, a ripple effect emerged which caused the creation of various clubs to pop up across New York until the deadliest war in U.S History.
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), where shockwaves of destruction and fear swept the nation. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, this bloody conflict had a total toll of roughly 750,000 casualties by the end of the war. To pass time from physical dread and despair, soldiers played baseball in military camps because gear was easy to make, there was no need for perfectly regulated fields, and many soldiers could play all together.
After the Civil War, soldiers returned home with their love and passion for baseball. According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Civil War knocked baseball out of the park in widespread popularity and growth, ultimately leading to the formation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869, the Vassar Resolutes in 1876, Major League Baseball’s National League (NL) in 1876, the American League (AL) in 1901, and the WPBL in 2026.
The rich and relentless history of women’s baseball dates back to 1866 at one of the nation’s first colleges for women, Vassar College, When Vassar college opened its doors in 1865, students were required to complete 1 hour of physical activity every single day. To fulfill this requirement, a group of female students took their passion for baseball and formed two of the first organized all-female baseball teams in the United States, the Laurels and the Abenakis.
However, these teams were quickly forced off-campus because of criticism from people who believed women should not play baseball. Until a little less than a decade later, Vassar College established the Resolutes, the first intercollegiate women’s baseball team in the United States in 1875.
From 1875 to 1878, the Resolutes played baseball through an intrasquad format, dividing themselves into two teams of nine players. Despite the Resolutes lacking intercollegiate funding, competition, coaching, equipment, and athletic appeal. They continued to play in ankle-length wool dresses under rules such as playing bare-handed, pitching underhanded, counting foul hits as fair, and allowing legal inference, which highlighted the changes needed to form the modern rules of baseball today. As a result, the Resolutes disbanded due to safety concerns from parents and continuous public backlash.
The Resolutes, defined as very determined despite difficulties (Merriam-Webster Dictionary), embodied their team name and displayed determination on and off the field. The formation of the Laurels, Abenakis, and Resolutes wasn’t just an accomplishment for women’s baseball but for women’s sports. This marked the historic shift from women primarily participating solely in unorganized recreational activities to sanctioned competitive sports. These early teams paved the wave for generations of women who have continuously fought for their right to play baseball at the professional level. Even with strict constraints, the students adapted and maximized their resources, hitting a grand slam for women’s athletics that is still recognized and celebrated more than a century later.
Despite the efforts made by women at Vassar College, women’s baseball was unable to fully build on their momentum because of societal pushback and stigmas surrounding women playing baseball. However, women found a way to play baseball through “barnstorming.”
According to the Baseball Almanac Dictionary, barnstorming refers to “professional non-affiliated baseball teams that travel around the country to challenge local teams.” This exhibition circuit dates back as early as the 1860s featuring men’s amateur and professional clubs.
The Barnstorming era (1875-1934) transformed both women’s and African American baseball. In 1875, the first professional women’s baseball teams, the Blondes and the Brunettes, were formed in Springfield, Illinois. Their team names reflected how gender stereotypes shaped how women’s sports were marketed through players’ physical appearances rather than their athletic abilities. Both of these teams were created primarily for entertainment by the National Amusement Association to profit off the novelty of women playing baseball.
The first game between the Blondes and the Brunettes was the first recorded women’s game in which spectators paid admission and players earned money. The news of this spread across the nation leading to negative media coverage and intense public backlash. Although the Blondes and Bruennets disbanded less than a year later, they helped inspire the creation of other women’s baseball clubs such as the Female Blue Stockings of Philadelphia, Female Red Stockings of New York, and the Lady Nine of Baltimore. Despite these teams being created solely for entertainment that were often scripted and limited athletic competition, it kept professional women’s baseball alive.
During the Barnstorming era (1865-1890), Black players proceeded to make history despite experiencing intense racial and gender oppression. In 1883, the first semi-professional African American women’s baseball team, the Philadelphia Dolly Vardens were formed. In 1885, the first fully salaried African-American professional baseball club, the Cuban Giants were formed. In order to avoid racial barriers and prejudice, they were named the “Cuban Giants,” even though no one on the team was Cuban. These pioneering teams not only marked the beginning of African American baseball, but planted the seed for future trailblazers such as Jackie Robinson, the first African American to break the Major League Baseball’s color barrier and Mo’ne Davis, the first girl to pitch a shutout and earn a game in the Little League World Series, who both went on to make groundbreaking history.
During the 1890s, women’s baseball started to shift into a competitive sport because managers and promoters realized that they could generate more profit. This shift was first seen with the barnstorming team, the Young Ladies Baseball Club No. 1, which ultimately ignited the famous Bloomer Girls era.
The Bloomer Girls era (1891-1934) was defined by innovative sportswear of loose-fitting bloomers that was created by American women’s right activist and dress reformer Elizabeth “Libby” Smith Miller in 1851 but was popularized that same year by famous women’s right activist and first acclaimed women newspaper publisher Amelia Bloomer in an article for her publication, The Lilly. This iconic clothing style evolved into a massive franchise of teams including the Boston Bloomers in 1893, Kansas Bloomer Girls in 1899, Star Bloomer Girls in 1903, and New York Bloomer Girls in 1910.
These teams operated as barnstorming teams but competed against both local women and male barnstorming teams through the season of 100 to 150 games a year. In addition, these teams would allow 1-3 men players to play alongside women players and they were called “toppers.” However, women deeply despised the topper system because they believed it was taking away from their talent and opportunities but players found common ground through their love of the game.
“Playing as a girl is sometimes difficult and awkward, being the only girl on a team of all boys.” said junior Mia Sites. “However, it has never taken away from my joy of playing baseball.”
In the beginning of the Bloomer Girl era, male players often played in disguise to blend in with women players. Men wanted to play on Bloomer Girl teams because not only was it a guaranteed job but they had massive exposure to Major League scouts which led to Major League Hall of Famers such as Rogers Hornby and Howard Ellsworth “Smoky Joe” Wood. This integration of both men and women played an important part of sports history because women were finally able to prove themselves as athletes, while male players gained opportunities to play in Major League Baseball. Over the course of the Blommer Girl era, numerous improvements were made to the game. From massive crowds, women getting paid professional salaries, sportswear becoming more suited for playing, and people starting to recognize women’s athletic capabilities.
When women started playing games visible to the public, primarily men viewers would often mock and cause ruckus during games. On some of the earlier barnstorming teams, women were getting paid but were often exploited. During the early barnstorming era, women players wore heavy-length wool dresses that made it difficult for women to play. Since earlier women’s barnstorming teams were primarily owned by men, they were displayed and marketed as comical entertainment.
However, the Bloomer era changed how the public viewed women’s athletic capabilities. From routinely beating men’s teams, women players were able to show their authentic talent that was once prohibited. This brought respectable crowds and positive media attention that continue to grow an audience for women’s baseball.
While women were getting paid significantly more than the average person, they were still getting exploited by male owners who controlled the league’s finacies and paid women players less than toppers. Until, towards the end of the era with the rise of female owners such as Margaret Nable, Florence “Florrie” O’ Rourke, Maud Nelson, and Mary O’Rourke ensured transparent salaries for both women and male players.
The Bloomer Girls also sent a message to the nation that athletic sportswear should be suited for playing even if it goes against societal beliefs. This led to controversy and nation-wide debates on the subject. But, women’s players were now able to field, run, and slide comfortably and not have to worry much more about injuries.
In this era, women’s players fought tirelessly to get recognized for their athletic abilities. They were able to achieve that because their talents were undeniable by fans across the country. From the emergence of star players such as Stella Friss, known as “The Babe Ruth of Bloomer Girls,” Lizzie Arlington, the first woman to sign a professional minor league baseball contract, and Jackie Mitchell who famously struck out baseball’s leading figures Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in back-to-back strikeouts. From women’s baseball being taken as a “joke,” players proved that women could and should play baseball.
At the end of the era, the Great Depression (1929-1938) sinked in causing a pause to women’s professional baseball. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. unemployment rate reached 25 percent. There were less fans attending games, traveling became more expensive, and team owners couldn’t continue to pay women players. As a result, softball became popularized due to cheaper prices and accessibility.
Through the 1920s and 1930s, the major rise of softball caused various industrial leagues and the creation of the Amentur Softball Association which is now USA Softball. Since the beginning of women’s baseball, it has been labeled “too masculine” or “unfeminine” causing more women to play softball and solidify it as primarily a women’s sport.
“It’s exciting that women now have the opportunity to play professional baseball. I’ve always loved softball and would still choose it if I could go back and start over my athletic career,” said senior Aubrie Rodriguez.
Today, college softball is massive in popularity and has continued to evolve the game of softball. In 2025, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) launched. During the 2026 season, Athletes Unlimited Softball League averaged 375,000 viewers per regular season game (Sports Business Journal).
Shortly, after the Great Depression, the United States entered World War II. According to the National WWII Museum, over 15.7 million men and more than 350,000 women left how to serve or volunteer in the world. In order to keep Major League Baseball ballparks active and keep baseball alive, Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley created the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), the first professional women’s baseball league in 1943 for wartime entertainment.
When news of the league broke, thousands of women tried out but only around 60 players made the final cut. This league started with 4 teams including the Rockford Peaches, South Bend Blue Soxs, Racine Belles, and Kenosha Comets but eventually branched out to 10 teams where over 600 women played in the league. After 12 seasons, the AAGPBL ended in 1954 due to low attendance and the rise of televised MLB.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen if they begin to let women in baseball. Of course, they will never make good. Why? Because they are too delicate. It would kill them to play ball every day,” said Babe Ruth.
Today, Babe Ruth would certainly be disappointed because in 2024, the WPBL was founded by Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach an MLB team and Keith Stein, the owner of the Canadian Baseball League’s Toronto Maple Leafs. They realized women were often limited to playing softball and lacked opportunities to play baseball, despite once playing a prominent role in the sport.
It was only until August 2026, the league played its inaugural season. The first historic game and the entirety of the season was played at Robin Roberts in Springfield, Illinois. The same land the stadium was built on hosted the first women’s professional baseball game between the Blondes and Brunnets in 1875. Only less than a century later, an AAGPBL franchise, the Springfield Sallies, played on this very field. To honor the historic stadium and city, the WPBL chose this to ignite more women’s baseball history and commemorate past generations of female players.
The four teams of the WPBL’s inaugural season each represent pioneering women from history, while their players carry those legacies through their own determination and resilance on and off the field. The Boston Hunters captain is Alli Schoroder, the first female player in the Canadian College Baseball Conference. The Los Angeles Queens captain is Ashton Lansdell, one of the first female players to play for the Savannah Bananas, a famous professional exhibition baseball team that has captured the attention and love from thousands of fans across the country. The New York Heights captain is Denae Benites, a 4-time USA Baseball Women’s National Team athlete. The San Francisco captain is Kelsie Whitmore, the first women pitcher in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball and official MLB Partner League in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.
The inaugural season of the WPBL has had positive attendance and viewership. Its opening day had a sell out crowd of over 4,000 fans despite a rain delay. Over the course of the season, streaming will be available on ESPN for all of the regular season and playoff coverage. The games will also be available for streaming on Youtube and for full game play and highlights, as well as select regular-season games on Scripps Sports Network.
“The WPBL has made me want to play professional baseball and seeing the games in person was such a cool experience because many women’s dreams came true,” junior Emma Sites said.
More than 150 years of trials and tribulations, women have continued to play and fight for women’s baseball regardless of societal beliefs and constraints. Across generations, women players have proven baseball is not a single gender sport. Now, with the creation of the WPBL, hundreds of girls and women have female baseball role models that will keep the flame of women’s professional baseball alive and inspire new generations of players.
