History will be made this weekend in Atlanta, where Jen Pawol is set to become the first woman to umpire a regular-season Major League Baseball game.
Pawol will work all three games of the Marlins-Braves series, including both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s finale, where she’ll take her position behind home plate. Due to the doubleheader, a fifth umpire was added to the crew, paving the way for her milestone debut.
A former Hofstra University softball catcher and longtime fast-pitch player, Pawol transitioned to umpiring after a decade on the field. She worked college softball, including games in the Big Ten Conference, before attending the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in 2016. That same year, she began her professional umpiring career in the Gulf Coast League.
Pawol has steadily climbed the ranks over the past nine years. In 2023, she reached Triple-A—the highest level of the minor leagues—becoming the first woman at that level in over three decades. She went on to umpire the Triple-A Championship game and was named a crew chief in 2024. She also broke barriers in Spring Training games in both 2024 and 2025.
Major League Baseball and the MLB Umpires Association both hailed Pawol’s achievement as a landmark moment. Her debut is being recognized not just as a personal milestone, but as a major step forward for women in baseball and professional sports.
Now a Triple-A umpire eligible to fill in at the major league level, Pawol’s debut is the result of years of dedication and perseverance. Her love of the game and commitment to the craft have earned her a spot in the record books—and on the field with the best in the sport.
Source: MLB