The Women’s Professional Baseball League makes its historic debut
The Women’s Professional Baseball League has begun its inaugural season, marking the return of a professional women’s baseball league in the United States after more than 70 years. Its debut matters because it gives women a dedicated professional pathway in baseball, a sport in which opportunities have long been more limited than in softball.
The four inaugural teams are the New York Heights, Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens and San Francisco Firebells. Each team plays 15 regular-season games, with the season and play-offs held at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois; the league has also secured coverage through ESPN and the Scripps Sports Network.
In short
- Women’s professional baseball has returned to the United States.
- Four teams are competing in the inaugural season.
- The full season is being played in Springfield, Illinois.
Explained simply
Professional women’s baseball has had no league in the United States for more than 70 years. The new league gives women a route to play baseball professionally, alongside the opportunities more commonly available in softball.
Four teams are taking part: the New York Heights, Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens and San Francisco Firebells. They play a 15-game regular season, with matches and play-offs at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.
Coverage on ESPN and the Scripps Sports Network could help bring the league to a wider audience. Its longer-term significance will depend in part on whether it can sustain teams and create lasting opportunities for players.