The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) held a series of tryouts in Washington, DC, during the summer and plans to have its first Draft later this year. The league revealed a list of over 120 players eligible for the Draft.

“The list represents a diverse mix of athletes: college standouts, international stars, and trailblazers who impressed scouts in person,” stated the WPBL website. “At this stage, the list is not ranked. Every player is under consideration, with evaluations based on performance at tryouts and international scouting efforts. Importantly, the league has reserved the right to add additional names in the weeks leading up to the draft. However the league is thrilled with the caliber of the talent and the depth of its draft pool.”

The majority of the players on the list (69) are from the USA, including Kelsie Withmore, a WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup star who, in 2022, became the first woman to start a game in MLB’s partner Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, and veteran pitcher Meggie Meidlinger, who helped USA win the 2006 Women’s Baseball World Cup and earn silver at the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals 2024.

Two-time Women’s Baseball World Cup medallist Ally Schroder leads a group of 20 Canadian players.

WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup legend Ayami Sato, the MVP in the 2014, 2016 and 2018 editions, is one of 11 Japanese players in the list.

There are seven Mexican players on the list, including National Team star shortstop Samaria Benitez. There are also seven Australian players, including Leah Cornish, who competed at the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2023.

National Team infielders Hyeonah Kim and Jua Park lead a list of four Korean players.

After representing France at the U-18 Baseball European Championship and earning a softball scholarship at Miami Dade College, Melissa Mayeux is back to baseball. The only other European player on the list is Laura Hirai, who started all games at second base for the champions, Great Britain, at the 2025 European Championship.

Curaçao (Thaima Maximiliana, who played softball for the Netherlands at the 2025 World Games) and Puerto Rico (Women’s Baseball World Cup alum Angelis Rivera) also have one player on the list.

Chen-Yun Chang, who represented Chinese Taipei at the Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2023, also made it to the Draft list. She is not only a pitcher, but she also served as a WBSC eBaseball commentator during the U-12 Baseball World Cup 2025.

The WPBL plans to play its inaugural season in 2026 with six teams. The next step will be the announcement of the cities involved in the inaugural season.

Justine Siegal, the league’s Co-Founder and baseball pioneer, is the first woman to coach a professional men’s baseball team and pitch batting practice in Major League Baseball history.

Maybelle Blair, a sports icon and former professional baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, was named Honorary Chair of the WPBL Advisory Board, which includes female trailblazers in sports and business. Actress Drew Barrymore is a WPBL advocate.