Historic women's pro baseball tryouts coming to D.C.
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Pro baseball player Kelsie Whitmore pitching. Photo: Courtesy of WPBL
The first women's professional baseball league in more than 70 years is hosting historic tryouts in D.C. next week.
Why it matters: Women's pro sports are surging nationwide — and the new Women's Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is among the few with DMV ties.
Driving the news: The WPBL is the first league for women ballplayers since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — of "A League of Their Own" fame — folded in 1954. (Fun fact: One of that league's original stars, 98-year-old Maybelle Blair, is an honorary chair).
- It's co-founded by Baseball for All's Justine Siegal, the first female MLB team coach.
- The WPBL plans to launch six teams next year predominantly in the Northeast. The teams will be announced this fall. (🤞for D.C.)
Slide in: Tryouts run Aug. 22–25, drawing more than 600 players, per ESPN.
- They'll end with a live game at Nationals Park and final cuts — only 150 players advance to the October draft.
The big picture: Dozens of U.S. women's pro teams have launched over the past two years in a variety of sports.
- Women's Lacrosse League kicked off this year with Maryland Charm, and DC Power Football Club joined women's pro soccer.
What's next: Rebranded Major League Volleyball debuts in 2027 with eight teams in the D.C. area and Northern California.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show that the Women's Pro Baseball League teams will launch predominantly in the Northeast (not the Northwest).