The Journey: Jen Pawol's Historic Climb to the Majors

Jen Pawol is a professional baseball umpire who is about to make history as the first woman to umpire a regular-season MLB game. Pawol played softball at Hofstra University and became a three-time all-conference pick. She was also a member of the U.S. Women’s National Baseball Team that competed in the 2001 Women’s Baseball World Series.

Building a Career in Umpiring

Pawol originally began umpiring softball games part-time while working as an art teacher. She umpired on the side for 11 years before deciding to make it her career. In 2016, she attended the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy. After starting her career in rookie ball, she reached Triple-A in 2023.

A Long Road to Inclusivity

Women have had limited success breaking into the ranks of professional baseball umpires since the start of professional baseball in the United States in the 1860s. In the early 1900s, Amanda Clement became the first woman paid to umpire a baseball game. In total, only seven women have ever umpired professionally in the U.S. Trailblazers like Bernice Gera, Christine Wren, Pam Postema and Ria Cortesio faced skepticism and discrimination as they paved the way in a male-dominated field. Even as other major sports leagues have integrated female officials, baseball has remained one of the most resistant to change. In 2006, one rule changed to acknowledge female pronouns, an important but limited step forward. Pawol’s historic MLB debut marks not only personal triumph, but also a long overdue milestone for the game itself.

Read more about the history of professional women umpires here

Turning Point

In 2024, Pawol became the first woman in 17 years to umpire an MLB Spring Training game.

Despite baseball’s long-standing resistance to change, she was met with enthusiasm on the field. “I greatly appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm, everyone’s welcoming attitude on the field tonight was very, very special,” she said. “Both managers shared congratulations and were welcoming, along with my [umpiring] partners, the players. I knew a lot of the players on the field already and so many said ‘Congrats, great to see you up here.’”

More from Pawol's first spring training game

Lance Barksdale, who shared the field with Pawol that night, called it a memorable experience. “You always remember your first World Series, first All-Star Game and all that, but it will be a special time for me to remember this time I got to share with her on the field tonight.”

Pawol credited her journey, preparation and love for the game: “This is my 18th year – 10 in amateur and eight now in pro. It’s just sort of all coming together and once I started umpiring, I said 'This is for me.’ I can’t explain it.”

Stepping into history

Now, Pawol is preparing to make history as the first woman to umpire in a regular season MLB game. On Aug. 9, she will work the bases during a doubleheader between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. The following day she will be behind the plate at Truist Park.

Pawol hopes that her achievements might inspire more girls and women to get involved in the sport.

Learm more about Pawol's story

Key Takeaways

For Parents: Support your kids in their passions, even if the path is unconventional.

For Coaches: Prioritize effort and mindset over assumptions. Don’t let bias limit an athlete’s potential

For Athletes: Dream big. Being first is not easy, but it is always important.