Jen Pawol is ready to make baseball history this weekend when she becomes the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball regular-season game, breaking a nearly 150-year gender barrier in the sport. She will work the bases during Saturday’s doubleheader between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, then she will take her turn behind the plate in Sunday’s series finale.
Pawol, 48, began umpiring in high school after a strong playing career as a catcher at Hofstra University. She later officiated NCAA softball before attending an MLB umpire tryout camp in 2015. In the decade since, she has called more than 1,200 minor league games, moving steadily through the ranks and becoming the first woman in 34 years to work at the Triple-A level in 2023.
Her debut is a milestone decades in the making. The last woman to attempt to break MLB’s officiating ranks was Bernice Gera. Gera actually sued for the right to be a baseball umpire before getting a one-year contract with the minor leagues. However, in 1972, she worked just one minor league game before resigning amid harassment.
Since then, only a handful of women, including Pam Postema and Ria Cortesio, reached high levels of baseball umpiring minor league games, but none worked the majors.
“This is super emotional for me,” Pawol said ahead of her first game. “I’m a fully charged battery ready to go.” She credited mentors like MLB umpire Ted Barrett and thanked managers and colleagues who encouraged her journey, including Houston Astros manager Joe Espada.
Pawol’s debut will mark the first time a woman has officiated an MLB regular-season game, sending a powerful signal to aspiring female officials that gender does not limit opportunity. Her arrival on the field also represents long-overdue visibility for women in a role historically dominated by men and stands as a direct continuation of the trailblazing efforts of Gera, Postema and Cortesio.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred praised her accomplishment, calling it “a reflection of Jen’s hard work, dedication and love of the game.” Players and managers have echoed that sentiment, welcoming her presence as a sign the sport is continuing to evolve.
