07 Aug 2025 3 min read FEATURES

Move of the Week: Jen Pawol Makes MLB History

Jen Pawol to make history as MLB's first female umpire | People Magazine

Jen Pawol will make history this weekend as the first woman to umpire a regular-season Major League Baseball game.

On Saturday, August 9, 2025, she will work the bases during both games of the Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves doubleheader at Truist Park. The following day, she will take her place behind the plate — a milestone nearly 150 years in the making. Speaking ahead of the assignment, Pawol kept her focus on the work: “Anybody in baseball will tell you that you’ve just got to keep it simple, keep working hard, put your all into it and get ready for the next day. That’s all I think about every day — get better before tomorrow.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred praised her achievement, calling it “a reflection of Jen’s hard work, dedication and love of the game” and “a strong example… for all the women and young girls who aspire to roles on the field.”

A Trailblazing Journey

Pawol’s road to this moment began in New Jersey, where she was an all-state softball and soccer standout at West Milford High School. She went on to play softball at Hofstra University, earning three all-conference honors on scholarship, and in 2001 she represented the USA Baseball women’s national baseball team.

After a decade officiating NCAA softball from 2010 to 2016, Pawol attended an MLB Umpire Tryout Camp and completed the Minor League Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach. That same year, she began her professional umpiring career in the Gulf Coast League. “For me, personally, I just love doing the job,” Pawol told People. “I’m passionate about it, and it’s just part of who I am.”

Her rise through the ranks was steady and historic. In 2023, she became the first woman in 34 years to umpire at the Triple-A level, even serving as home-plate umpire for the Triple-A National Championship Game. In 2024, she broke another barrier as the first female umpire to work MLB Spring Training games since Ria Cortesio in 2007. By 2025, she was named a Triple-A crew chief and worked additional spring training games before getting the call to the big leagues.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Pawol’s debut continues the work of women who paved the way in sports officiating. In baseball, Pam Postema was the first woman to umpire MLB Spring Training games in 1988, followed by Ria Cortesio in 2007. Beyond baseball, trailblazers like Shannon Eastin and Sarah Thomas have officiated in the NFL, while female referees have worked in the NBA and on the world stage in men’s soccer.

For Pawol, the moment is both personal and symbolic — the result of years of persistence, preparation, and passion for the game, and a visible reminder that the plate is no longer off limits.

A Monumental Moment for Women in Sports

This is more than a personal milestone — it’s a landmark moment in the ongoing rise of women in sports. Across the athletic landscape, we are witnessing a powerful shift: female athletes dominating headlines, women coaching at the highest levels, entire leagues gaining momentum, and now, women officiating at the pinnacle of their sports. Pawol’s debut is proof that the glass ceilings in athletics are cracking wider than ever, and for the next generation watching, it’s a signal that there are no positions — on the field, in the dugout, or behind the plate — that women can’t claim.