Baseball dreams became a reality last Thursday, as the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) held its first-ever draft ahead of four-team league’s 2026 inaugural season.
WPBL side San Francisco selected pitcher and outfielder Kelsie Whitmore first overall, with the 27-year-old officially becoming the first member of a US women’s professional baseball league since the legendary World War II-era AAGPBL folded in 1954.
No stranger to making baseball history, Whitmore has primarily played on men’s pro teams throughout her career, becoming the first women to start and to pitch in the MLB partner Atlantic League in 2022 before also breaking multiple glass ceilings in the Pioneer League in 2024.
“I truly didn’t know if this moment would come, to be able to have a women’s professional baseball league while I’m still in the prime of my career,” said Whitmore.
LA’s overall No. 2 WPBL Draft pick Ayami Sato has led Japan to five Women’s Baseball World Cup titles. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
WPBL teams select international stars for debut rosters
While the Savannah Bananas alum is the first member of San Francisco’s roster, Los Angeles used its No. 2 pick to snag five-time World Cup winner Ayami Sato — a 35-year-old pitcher from Japan — while New York took former University of Washington softball infielder Kylee Lahners at No. 3 and Boston began its lineup by picking South Korean star catcher Hyeonah Kim at No. 4.
Notably, 24-year-old center fielder Mo’Ne Davis also earned a Top-10 overall selection, with LA tapping the former 2014 Little League World Series pitching star for its debut roster.
Now at 30 players each, the four debut WPBL teams will next whittle their lineups down to 15 players before the inaugural 2026 season.
With five countries — Japan, South Korea, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and the US — represented in the first nine picks in Thursday’s WPBL Draft, the sport’s global best will be heading to Illinois to kick off baseball’s newest era in August.
“[The WPBL is] not just for me, but for a lot of young girls. They now have a platform to look up to,” noted Whitmore. “Maybe my daughter one day will be able to play in the league.”