Women’s Professional Baseball League Set for Historic Tryouts at Nationals Park

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is making history as it prepares to hold its inaugural tryouts at Nationals Park from August 22-25, marking the first women’s professional baseball tryouts in over 80 years.

The four-day event will determine the 150 players invited to the league’s October draft, with over 600 athletes registered to compete for spots in the groundbreaking league set to launch in spring 2026.

Tryout Structure and Format

The comprehensive evaluation process begins at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Southeast D.C., where players will undergo three days of drill-focused sessions, athletic performance testing, and evaluations before initial cuts. The culminating event will take place on August 25 at Nationals Park, where the remaining players will compete in live game action before final roster decisions are made.

Team USA women’s baseball star Alex Hugo, serving as special adviser to the league, will lead the tryout process alongside former major league coaches and top women’s baseball instructors.

“We are really excited to see all of the players at tryouts this summer and see their incredible skills,” Hugo said. “We’re building a future where girls and women who love baseball can dream as big as they want and now, finally, have a league to call their own.”

League Vision and Structure

Co-founded by Justine Siegal – the first woman to coach for an MLB team – the WPBL aims to launch with six teams playing a seven-inning format using aluminum bats under World Baseball Softball Confederation rules. The inaugural season will utilize one or two centralized venues.

“I love the game, and so many girls and women love baseball,” Siegal explained. “This pro league gives a chance for them to follow their dreams, too.”

Historic Significance

The WPBL represents the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, immortalized in “A League of Their Own,” dissolved in 1954. The new league has already secured significant backing, including a media partnership with Fremantle Productions and investment from global women’s sports advocate Assia Grazioli-Venier as league chair.

Star Power and Participation

Notable athletes confirmed for the league include former Team USA player Kelsie Whitmore and former Little League sensation Mo’ne Davis, adding credibility and star power to the inaugural roster.

The Washington Nationals organization has provided crucial support for the historic event, with Assistant Player Development Director John Wulf facilitating the partnership that brings professional women’s baseball to the nation’s capital.

Looking Ahead

Following the August tryouts, selected players will participate in the October draft before the league’s anticipated spring 2026 launch. The WPBL represents a pivotal moment for women’s baseball, offering the highest level of professional competition for female athletes in the sport.

Registration for tryouts remains open through the WPBL website for players 18 and older seeking to make baseball history.

For complete WPBL coverage and updates on the historic Nationals Park tryouts, follow Bad Dawg Sports’ dedicated women’s baseball coverage.