Someday, they can tell the grandkids they were the pioneers of the Women’s Professional Baseball League.
Kelsie Whitmore, Ayami Sato, Kylee Lahners, Hyeonah Kim and Alli Schroder were the first five players chosen Thursday in the inaugural WPBL draft, streamed online at the WPBL website and also Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. There are six rounds, with each of the four WPBL teams — San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Boston — picking five players each round. There will be 120 players selected overall.
To ensure competitive balance, the WPBL used a snake-order format. The team that picked last in one turn picked first in the next.
The WPBL is the fifth women’s pro baseball league in the US. The previous ones were All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (1943–1954) — inspiration for the film “A League of Their Own” — the National Girls Baseball League (1944–1954), the International Girls Baseball League (1952–1953) and Ladies League Baseball (1997–1998).
This iteration will play its inaugural season at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., chosen for being very roughly in the middle of the four big-city franchises (New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco). The first game will be on Aug. 1, 2026, though the complete schedule has not been announced, nor have the franchise names.
The first five picks
Kelsie Whitmore, RHP, U.S.; drafted by San Francisco
The 27-year-old has already been a trailblazer, becoming the first woman to play pro baseball since the Negro League era. She and Stacy Piagno played for the Sonoma Stompers of the Pacific Association, an independent league, and Whitmore got her first hit as a pro on July 20, 2016.
Whitmore also became the first woman to start in the Atlantic League, an independent league and the highest level of pro baseball outside of Major League Baseball. Several days after signing with the Staten Island FerryHawks in 2022, Whitmore entered in relief and escaped a bases-loaded, two-out situation by getting former major leaguer Ryan Jackson to fly out.
Two years later, Whitmore became the first woman to play in the Pioneer League, another MLB partner league. She made the cut for the Oakland Ballers, being among only three players signed out of 110 who tried out.
Whitmore now plays for the Savannah Bananas, a barnstorming baseball team that plays exhibition games all over the US.
Kelsie Whitmore continues to be a pioneer in women’s professional baseball. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
Ayami Sato, RHP, Japan; drafted by Los Angeles
The 36-year-old native of Japan has won three Women’s Baseball World Cup MVPs, helping Japan win five titles, and has set several records in the Japan Women’s Baseball League.
In her first World Cup in 2010, Sato was 3-0 with a 0.53 ERA and helped eliminate the US. Two years later, she was 1-0 with a 0.72 ERA.
During the 2014 gold medal game, Sato outdueled Team USA’s Sarah Hudek 3-0 and had a 0.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched during the tournament. She was named World Cup MVP.
Sato won MVP again in 2016, leading Japan to its fifth straight title. This time, she was 3-0, including a shutout victory over Canada in the gold medal game. She finished the Cup with a 1.33 ERA, struck out 21 and allowed only 10 hits in 21 innings.
In the 2018 Cup, Sato beat Taiwan in the gold medal game and earlier came within one out of no-hitting the U.S. She finished with a 3-0 record and captured her third MVP award.
Ayami Sato is considered by many to be the best female pitcher in the world. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
Kylee Lahners, 3B, U.S.; drafted by New York
Lahners was named All-Pac-12 in all four of her years with the University of Washington softball team. She ranks in the top 10 in Husky history in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, slugging percentage and walks. She had a perfect fielding percentage in her senior season.
In 2011, she hit .560 with six RBIs and 11 runs scored to help lead Team USA to the ISF championship. In the 2010 Pan American (18-Under) Games, Lahners was 9 for 23 in the leadoff spot with four RBIs and 11 runs scored to help the US win the title.
Kylee Lahners ranks in the top 10 in several career categories for Washington. (Craig Bailey/ Florida Today via Imagn Images)
Hyeonah Kim, C, South Korea; drafted by Boston
In the 2025 BFA Women’s Baseball Asian Cup, Kim had 15 RBIs and batted .409 in seven games and 22 at-bats.
Alli Schroder, RHP, Canada; drafted by Boston
Schroder enjoys the pressure and adrenaline rush of pitching — and being a firefighter with the British Columbia Wildfire Service. She has balanced both wildly different occupations for years, with toughness and expertise.
At 16, she came on in relief in the sixth inning and stayed on the mound until Canada broke the game wide open in the 10th inning to win bronze in the 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup.
Schroder is a former member of MLB’s GRIT program, which is designed to help identify female athletes who are 18 and under. It was a great avenue for Schroder, who grew up in a small town and only wanted to play baseball, not softball. She got her share of razzing from folks who didn’t think a girl should be playing with the boys.
“I think for any girl my age or younger than me playing on the field tonight, that’s all of our goals,” Schroder told MLB.com. “We’re just paving pathways for the girls that come below us. Hopefully, they have an easier time playing the sport they love.”
Highlights!!! 🇨🇦 Canada v USA 🇺🇸 Bronze Medal Game🥉 Women’s Baseball World Cup 2018 @baseballcanada @usabaseballwnt @usssaspacecoast pic.twitter.com/aeWUZTDQsn
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 31, 2018