The Women’s Professional Baseball League has revealed the four cities where the teams will be based for its inaugural season: New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. This announcement was made by the league on Tuesday.
The league, co-founded by Justine Siegal, who made history as the first woman to coach for an MLB team (Oakland Athletics in 2015), had previously announced plans to kick off its six-team circuit in 2026. The season will include regular games, playoffs, and an all-star match.
This initiative marks the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League disbanded in 1954, famously depicted in the movie “A League of Their Own.”
For the inaugural season, the WPBL will start with four teams, each comprising 15 players. Following summer tryouts, the top 100 players will enter the league’s draft next month. Notable figures like Mo’ne Davis, Kelsie Whitmore from USA Baseball, and Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato are expected to feature in the draft.
All WPBL matches in 2026 will take place at a neutral location, with the venue set to be disclosed later by the league. The selection of New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco as team cities was based on the cities’ market size and enthusiastic fan bases.
In a statement, Siegal expressed excitement about connecting with fans in these iconic sports cities and baseball enthusiasts nationwide.