The Women’s Professional Baseball League has unveiled New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco as the cities selected to host the four teams for its upcoming inaugural season, as per the league’s recent announcement. Justine Siegal, a co-founder of the league and the first woman to coach for an MLB team (the Oakland Athletics in 2015), revealed plans last year to kick off the league in 2026 with six teams, featuring a regular season, playoffs, and an all-star game. This league marks the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League disbanded in 1954, famously depicted in “A League of Their Own.”
Initially launching with four teams, each consisting of 15 players, the WPBL has identified the top 100 players from its summer tryouts to participate in the league’s upcoming draft, which will include notable figures such as Mo’ne Davis, Kelsie Whitmore from USA Baseball, and Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato. All matches in the league’s inaugural season will be held at a neutral venue, with the specific location set to be disclosed later. The decision to choose New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco as team cities was based on their market size and strong fan base presence.
In a statement, Siegal expressed excitement about connecting with fans in these historically significant sports cities and fans nationwide. The league aims to engage with a wide audience of baseball enthusiasts.