Women's Professional Baseball league announces first four teams

The Women’s Professional Baseball League is one of many new women’s professional sports leagues that are growing across the country.

On Tuesday, the league announced that New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be the four cities to represent teams in the inaugural season.

These four cities have a rich history when it comes to sports and are also some of the largest markets in Major League Baseball.

Though these cities will be home to ball clubs, the WPBL will play all its 2026 games at a neutral site that has yet to be announced.

The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegel, who was the first woman to coach for an MLB team when she did so with the Oakland Athletics in 2015. In October 2024, the league announced that it would start in spring 2026, and would include a regular season, playoffs and an all-star game.

It will be the first women's professional league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which discontinued in 1954. The original league is the inspiration behind the film “A League of Their Own.”

The first tryout for the league was held in August at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. The top 100 players from that tryout advanced to the inaugural draft, which will take place in November. Fifteen players will be named to each roster.

Among the 100 players heading to the draft, one that might stand out to baseball fans is former Little League World Series star Mo’ne Davis, who famously became the first girl to pitch a victory and shutout in Williamsport during the 2014 series.

Other names that fans should look out for are Kelsie Whitmore and Ayami Sato. Whitmore is a pitcher and outfielder combo with experience as a member of the US Women’s National Team and is also currently playing for the Savannah Bananas.

Sato is a Japanese pitcher who is a Women’s Baseball World Cup Champion and MVP. Earlier this year, Sato made history by becoming the first woman to play professional baseball in Canada.

The choice of New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco as the league’s first four cities sets a strong foundation for the WPBL’s debut. Each city carries deep baseball traditions, passionate fan bases and global sports influence.

By launching in iconic markets that already breathe the spirit of the game, the WPBL is positioning itself to capture both nostalgia and new energy for women’s baseball.

As the 2026 season approaches, these four cities won’t just be representing teams, but they’ll also be helping to shape the future of the sport.

Gianna Dowling is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gmd5738@psu.edu.