Woman makes history as the first female umpire in Major League Baseball
Historic Moment in Major League Baseball: Jen Pawol Makes Her Debut
Jen Pawol made history on August 9, 2025, as she became the first woman to umpire a regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game. Pawol, who started her umpiring career in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016, served in multiple games during a Marlins-Braves series.
The historic outing marked a significant milestone for Pawol, who expressed her excitement about the moment, stating, "Just incredible. The dream came true. The dream actually came true today." Pawol inspected Atlanta starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep's hands for foreign substances as part of her game duties, working at first base during the game.
In a nod to the importance of this achievement, Pawol's cap from the historic outing will be donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pawol is the seventh woman to work as a professional baseball umpire overall, following in the footsteps of Ria Cortesio, who became the first woman umpire in a pre-season spring training game in 2007.
Pawol's debut comes 28 years after Violet Palmer became the first woman to referee an NBA game in October 1997. In the NFL, Sarah Thomas made history as the first full-time female on-field official in 2015, with Stephanie Frappart of France becoming the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match in 2022.
In soccer (World Cup), female referees first officiated at FIFA Men's World Cup matches at the 2022 tournament, marking a major milestone for women in soccer officiating. Female officials have also long been standard in the Women's World Cup.
Pawol is passionate about umpiring and aspires to work harder every day to get better. Her dedication to the sport is evident, as she has worked in over 1,200 minor league games before making her historic breakthrough in a regular-season game.
Interestingly, two women worked on the officiating crew of the same game for the first time in the NFL last year. As Pawol continues to pave the way for women in umpiring, it's clear that her impact will be felt for years to come. The game in question was the first game of a double-header between the Braves and the Miami Marlins, held at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Jen Pawol's historic debut marks the first time a woman umpired a regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game, a milestone that was previously reached in other sports like the NBA, NFL, and soccer. Despite this, Pawol had to work her way up from the Gulf Coast League to make her breakthrough in a regular-season game, showcasing her dedication to sports, particularly baseball in MLB.
