Baseball fans witnessed history on August 9, 2025, according to The Guardian, when Jen Pawol became the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball regular-season game. Her debut came during the first game of a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins, where she took her position at first base. By the nightcap, she was at third base, and the following day, she stepped behind home plate to call balls and strikes — the role every umpire trains for and the ultimate test of skill and composure.
For Pawol, the moment was the culmination of a journey nearly a decade in the making. She began umpiring in the Gulf Coast League in 2016, steadily climbing the ranks through Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. In 2023, she broke another barrier as the first woman in 34 years to officiate at the Triple-A level. Her career has been a testament to persistence, resilience, and quiet defiance of the idea that baseball officiating is a men-only domain.
Crowds at loanDepot park cheered her every call, and signs in the stands celebrated her historic achievement. Both managers and players praised her confident presence on the field, noting that she controlled the game with a calm authority.
“The dream came true,” Pawol told reporters afterward, visibly moved. Her cap from the game will soon be on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame a symbol of a barrier finally broken.
Pawol follows in the footsteps of pioneering women such as Bernice Gera, who in 1972 became the first woman to umpire a professional minor league game, and Pam Postema, who worked MLB spring training games in the 1980s. But unlike those before her, Pawol has crossed the threshold into regular-season MLB play a place no woman has stood until now.
Her debut wasn’t just a personal victory; it was a landmark moment for the sport. It sends a message to young women and girls watching from the stands or at home: there is room for you on the field, in the dugout, and, yes, behind the plate.
For the MLB, it’s a long-overdue step toward a more inclusive future. For Pawol, it’s a dream fulfilled and perhaps the start of an even greater legacy.
⚾ Quick Facts: Jen Pawol’s Historic Path
Milestone Year
Began professional umpiring in the Gulf Coast League 2016
First woman in 34 years to umpire Triple-A games 2023
MLB regular-season debut at first base Aug. 9, 2025
Worked third base in doubleheader nightcap Aug. 9, 2025
First woman to call balls & strikes in an MLB game Aug. 10, 2025
Cap from debut headed to Baseball Hall of Fame 2025
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