The Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) is a planned professional women's baseball league to commence in 2026, with six teams in the northeastern United States.
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founder |
|
| First season | 2026 (planned) |
| No. of teams | 6 (planned) |
| Country | United States |
History
editThe Women's Pro Baseball League was co-founded in 2024 by former Major League Baseball coach Justine Siegal, and owner of the Intercounty Baseball League's Toronto Maple Leafs, Keith Stein.[1][2] An advocate for gender equality in sports, Siegal previously founded Baseball for All, a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes girls' participation in baseball.[3][4] The commercial success and stability of the Women's National Basketball Association and National Women's Soccer League inspired Siegal and Stein to create a professional league for women's baseball, and announced its establishment through a press release in October 2024.[2][3] Japan national team pitcher Ayami Sato and former Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston were hired as special advisers early in the league's development.[1][2]
Format
editThe Women's Pro Baseball League competition will consist of a regular season, followed by a playoff tournament that will determine the league's champion.[4][5]
Teams
editThe Women's Pro Baseball League aims to have six, independently-owned clubs in its inaugural 2026 season, all based in the northeastern United States.[1][3]
Broadcasting
editThe Women's Pro Baseball League intends on striking a national broadcasting deal, as opposed to deals with regional sports networks.[4][5]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c Anderson, R.J. (30 October 2024). "New Women's Pro Baseball League to launch in 2026: 'We have been waiting over 70 years'". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "New professional women's baseball league to launch in 2026". Sportsnet. 29 October 2024. Archived from the original on 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Young, Ryan (29 October 2024). "New women's professional baseball league set to launch in 2026: 'Our time is now'". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Hoornstra, Jon Paul (29 October 2024). "Can the WPBL be the next big thing in women's sports?". The Big Lead. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Women's baseball league prepares for '26 launch". Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. 29 October 2024. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
It plans on securing a national broadcast deal for its inaugural season, which will consist of a regular season, playoffs and championship throughout the summer of 2026.