Six athletes from British Columbia have been chosen to participate in the inaugural Women’s Pro Baseball League in 2026, expressing optimism about paving the way for a sustainable future for women in a historically male-dominated sport. The selection of these athletes took place during the first WPBL draft, where 20 Canadians were picked by four U.S.-based teams.
Scheduled to kick off in the summer of 2026, the league will hold games in Springfield, Illinois, providing a central location for its four teams. Liz Gilder, a left-handed pitcher selected 49th overall to play for San Francisco, shared her experience of being one of the few girls playing baseball in her upbringing in Port Moody, B.C.
Gilder emphasized the importance of retaining girls in baseball between the ages of 12 and 14, rather than them transitioning to softball. She highlighted the growth in interest among B.C. girls in playing baseball, citing the successful expansion of an all-girls baseball league she helped manage for Baseball B.C.
The WPBL, co-founded by Justine Siegal, the first female coach for an MLB team, and managed by Keith Stein, is the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League disbanded in 1954. Juliette Kladko, a 22-year-old left-handed pitcher drafted by the Los Angeles team, acknowledged the increasing interest in women’s sports, noting the recent developments in other professional women’s leagues.
Michelle Roche, a right-handed pitcher from Burnaby, also selected by the Los Angeles team, highlighted the significance of having 20 Canadians drafted in the inaugural edition of the WPBL, compared to the limited Canadian representation in Major League Baseball. Roche reflected on the historical significance of women’s involvement in professional baseball and expressed excitement about continuing that legacy through the WPBL.