From A League of Their Own to a League of Their Future:

Women’s Baseball Steps Back Up to the Plate

Baseball has always been more than just a game. It’s tradition, community, and sometimes, revolution. Back in the 1940s, when World War II threatened to shut down Major League Baseball, a group of women stepped onto the diamond and gave America something it didn’t know it needed: the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

With skirts instead of pants and charm schools on their schedule, those women still played tough, fast, competitive baseball. They drew crowds, made headlines, and proved that women could play the game at a professional level. The league lasted from 1943 to 1954, and while it eventually folded, its legacy lived on—immortalized in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own.

For decades, that was the story. The league was a piece of history, a nostalgic tale we retold with admiration.

But here’s the twist: history is about to meet the present.

A New League is Born

Fast forward to today. In the spring of 2026, a brand-new Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) will take the field. Co-founded by trailblazers like Justine Siegal, the league aims to do something no one has done in nearly 70 years—give women a true, sustainable professional home in the game of baseball.

The first season will be small but mighty: six teams, based mostly in the Northeast, playing in intimate ballparks with about 3,000 seats each. Games will be seven innings, played with aluminum bats, and teams will carry 15 to 25 players each. The season itself will be short—just four weeks of regular play, followed by an All-Star week and a two-week postseason.

The salary cap will hover around $95,000 per team—a modest start—but players will receive housing, travel stipends, and support that allows them to focus on playing ball. More importantly, they’ll be stepping into a league designed not as a novelty, but as a professional pathway.

Tryouts That Made History

If the league itself wasn’t enough to make headlines, the first open tryouts in Washington, D.C. certainly were. More than 600 women from ten countries showed up, ranging in age from 17 to 57. Over four days, they ran drills, hit in batting cages, threw in bullpens, and played at Nationals Park under the eyes of coaches and scouts.

Some familiar names were there, too. Mo’ne Davis, the Little League World Series sensation, returned to baseball after several years away. Kelsie Whitmore, who pitched in men’s independent leagues, showed why she’s a pioneer. And to bring it full circle, Maybelle Blair, a star from the original 1940s league, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at 97 years old. It was, quite literally, the passing of the torch.

Why This Matters

The AAGPBL proved women could play. The WPBL is out to prove they can thrive. This isn’t just about filling a wartime gap or entertaining crowds during an emergency. It’s about building something lasting, something sustainable, something that lets young girls see a future in the sport they love.

Fans will get more than just baseball—they’ll get a community-driven experience. Small ballparks mean close-up action. Players will be part of clinics, outreach, and media days. The league isn’t just trying to entertain—it’s trying to grow the game from the ground up.

And make no mistake, the long-term goals are ambitious. Organizers want to expand to six-month seasons, develop youth pipelines, and connect globally. If all goes well, this league could be the future of women’s baseball—not just a one-time experiment.

Full Circle

From the skirts and charm schools of the 1940s to the aluminum bats and grassroots ballparks of 2026, women’s professional baseball has come a long way. The original league gave us history. This new one is giving us a future.

And for fans like us at Old Guy Sports, it feels like we’re about to witness something special: the next chapter in a story that started more than 80 years ago, when a group of women proved there’s "no crying in baseball" only opportunity.

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