Jen Pawol Makes MLB History as First Female Umpire
Hey, have you heard the big news from Major League Baseball? Jen Pawol is making history this weekend—she’s officially becoming the first woman ever to umpire a regular-season MLB game . That’s right, first ever . After over a century of baseball, the barrier is finally being broken, and it's a huge moment for the sport and for gender representation in professional officiating.
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This weekend, Pawol is working the Marlins-Braves series in Atlanta. She’ll be part of the umpiring crew for all three games, including both ends of a Saturday doubleheader and Sunday’s series finale—where she’ll be behind home plate. That position, by the way, is no small assignment. It's the most visible and arguably the toughest umpiring spot on the field. The reason a fifth umpire is being added is because during a doubleheader, the plate umpire gets a break for the other game.
Pawol’s journey to this historic moment has been long and steady. She started her pro umpiring career back in 2016 in rookie ball, after attending the MLB Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach, Florida. And she didn’t just stop there—by 2023, she had reached Triple-A, becoming the first woman at that level in 34 years. She even umpired the Triple-A Championship game that year. In 2024, she became the first woman to work an MLB Spring Training game since Ria Cortesio did it in 2007.
Before all this, Pawol had a deep background in sports. She played softball at Hofstra University and even competed at the elite amateur level for 10 years. She later got into umpiring NCAA softball, working Big Ten Conference games between 2013 and 2015. It wasn’t until after grad school—while still playing competitively and working toward teacher certification—that she realized what was missing: the thrill of serious competition. She looked at the umpire during a local game and thought, That’s it. That’s what I need to do.
And now, here she is, at 48 years old, officially stepping into MLB history. This comes nearly three decades after the NBA brought on its first female referee, and ten years after the NFL followed suit. Other global sports like soccer and the Premier League have also made strides in recent years. MLB was the last of the major U.S. pro leagues to do it, but now it’s done.
So this weekend, when you’re watching the Marlins and Braves, just remember—you’re witnessing a milestone in baseball history. Jen Pawol isn’t just calling balls and strikes. She’s calling time on an old tradition and stepping boldly into a new era.
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