The ladies of summer are coming soon, with an official inaugural season set to play ball.

It’s been some 70 years since we’ve had an all-female pro baseball league.

Remember A League of Their Own, starring Madonna, Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell, and Tom Hanks? That most beloved, fun movie was based on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which disbanded in 1954. 

According to ESPN, MLB lifted its ban on women participating on major league teams or their affiliates in 1992.

Enter Justine Siegal years later as the first woman to throw batting practice to an MLB team. She was with the  Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, and New York Mets.

She’s the co-founder of the WPBL.

Siegal is currently focusing her energy into the 2026 WPBL launch, working closely with league co-founder Keith Stein, a lawyer and businessman who saw value in her legacy. She said she welcomes the challenge of building a league from scratch and is grateful that there are examples to follow.

According to the SportNet website, team ownership is underway while recruiting female athletes who are ready to play ball in this women-only league set for its first season next year.

The Women’s Pro Baseball League is here for all the girls and women who dream of a place to showcase their talents and play the game they love. We have been waiting over 70 years for a professional baseball league we can call our own. Our time is now.

For now, the WPBL will start in the Northeast with six teams, but of course, the goal is to spread across the country. Where those teams will be should be announced later this year.

We will definitely know before the first WPBL season, which is scheduled to run from late May through late August 2026.