The Women’s Pro Baseball League opened its inaugural season on August 1 at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois, putting four teams on the field for the first professional women’s baseball competition in the United States since the 1950s, with games now entering the second full week of a six-week regular season that runs through September 6.
Key Takeaways
- The WPBL launched on August 1 with four teams: the Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights, San Francisco Firebells, and Boston Hunters, all playing at a single venue in Springfield, Illinois.
- The league is the first professional women’s baseball organization in the U.S. since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League era ended in 1954, and the first since Ladies League Baseball folded in 1998.
- Games are played over seven innings rather than the traditional nine, giving the league a faster format designed for fan engagement and broadcast pacing.
- The league’s first overall draft pick, Kelsie Whitmore (San Francisco), and Mo’ne Davis (Los Angeles), the former Little League World Series star, are among the headline players in the inaugural season.
- The regular season consists of 30 total games, with each team playing 15, followed by a three-game semifinal series and a five-game championship beginning September 9.
Opening Day Drew on 150 Years of History in Springfield
The Women’s Pro Baseball League chose Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois as the sole venue for its entire inaugural season, a decision rooted in both logistics and symbolism. Springfield hosted one of the earliest recorded professional women’s baseball games in 1875, making it one of the longest-standing locations connected to the history of women in the sport. By centralizing all games at a single stadium, the league avoided the travel costs and scheduling complexity that would come with placing teams in their home markets during a debut season, while also creating a concentrated fan experience around a single location.
The Los Angeles Queens and New York Heights played the league’s first official game on August 1 at 5:00 PM Central Time, with Los Angeles winning 10 to 8. The San Francisco Firebells and Boston Hunters followed the next day, with San Francisco taking an 11 to 3 victory. Through the first two weeks of play, the league has produced competitive, high-scoring games, with results shifting across the four-team field. The Firebells handed the Queens their first loss on August 7, a 12 to 3 result that broke Los Angeles’s undefeated start. The Boston Hunters earned their first win on August 9, defeating New York 9 to 6, before the Heights responded with a 7 to 6 extra-inning win on August 10.
The Draft Class Includes International Talent and a Little League Legend
The WPBL conducted its inaugural draft in November 2025, using a snake-style format with six rounds and five players selected per round by each team. Kelsie Whitmore, a USA Baseball veteran and one of the most recognized names in women’s baseball, was the first overall pick, selected by San Francisco. Mo’ne Davis, who became a national figure at 13 years old after pitching a shutout in the 2014 Little League World Series, was the 10th pick, selected by the Los Angeles Queens. Davis’s selection marked her return to competitive baseball after years away from the sport.
The rosters reflect the international depth of women’s baseball. Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato, one of the sport’s most accomplished international players, pitches for Los Angeles. South Korean pitcher Rakyung Kim plays for New York, alongside USA Baseball national team members Kylee Lahners and Denae Benites. Canadian national team star Alli Schroder and Korean pitcher Hyeonah Kim anchor portions of the Boston roster. The league held a two-day spring training camp in March at the Boston Red Sox’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida, giving players access to professional-level coaching and facilities ahead of the season.
A Seven-Inning Format and a Compact Schedule Built for a First Season
The WPBL games are played over seven innings rather than the standard nine, a structural choice that differentiates the league from Major League Baseball and creates a faster-paced product. The shorter format compresses decision-making for managers, raises the stakes in early innings, and keeps total game times within a range designed for both in-person attendance and broadcast windows. Following opening weekend, all regular season games are scheduled Wednesday through Sunday, with most start times set at 6:30 PM Central.
The regular season runs from August 1 through September 6 across six weeks. Each of the four teams plays 15 games, and the final standings determine seeding for the postseason. Playoffs begin September 9 with semifinal matchups played as three-game series. The winners advance to the WPBL Championship, a five-game series that will crown the league’s first champion. The compact schedule and single-venue model reflect the reality of launching a new professional league: the WPBL is investing in proving the on-field product before expanding into multi-city operations in future seasons.
The League Was Founded in 2024 and Built Through a Two-Year Development Pipeline
The WPBL was co-founded in 2024 by Justine Siegal, who serves as commissioner, and Keith Stein. Siegal is a former professional baseball coach who made history as the first woman to pitch batting practice for a Major League Baseball team and the first to coach for a professional men’s baseball team. The league announced its four founding team cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Boston, in late October 2025, and the inaugural draft followed in November.
The league attracted over 700 player registrations after its initial announcement, and a Hart Research poll conducted in April 2025 found that public interest in the WPBL (19 percent) was comparable to interest in the WNBA (21 percent) and NCAA women’s college basketball (21 percent). Tryouts were held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. in August 2025 to determine 130 eligible draftees. The WPBL is the fifth American professional women’s baseball league in history, following the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (1943 to 1954), the National Girls Baseball League (1944 to 1954), the International Girls Baseball League (1952 to 1953), and Ladies League Baseball (1997 to 1998). The gap between the most recent predecessor and the WPBL’s debut spans 28 years.
FAQs
Where Can Fans Watch WPBL Games?
All WPBL inaugural season games are being played at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. Broadcast and streaming information is available through the league’s official website and social media channels. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available through the WPBL site.
How Long Is the WPBL Season?
The regular season runs six weeks, from August 1 through September 6, with each team playing 15 games (30 total league games). Playoffs begin September 9 with three-game semifinal series, followed by a five-game championship series.
Why Are WPBL Games Seven Innings Instead of Nine?
The WPBL uses a seven-inning format to create a faster-paced game that compresses decision-making and raises the importance of each inning. The shorter format is designed to suit both in-person attendance and broadcast pacing during the league’s inaugural season.
