This weekend, sport will take another step towards gender equality. Jen Pawol will become the first woman to umpire an official Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. She is one of 17 current Triple-A umpires who can serve as substitutes in Major League games.
Pawol, 48, from New Jersey, has already officiated preseason games in 2024 and this year. The referee has been consolidating a career of almost a decade in which she has broken barriers and paved the way in a field historically dominated by men
She has steadily climbed the umpiring ranks since beginning her professional career in the Rookie League in 2016. She reached Triple-A in 2023, becoming the first female umpire at that level in 34 years. She was the home plate umpire in the Triple-A Championship that September. In 2024, Pawol became the first female umpire in a spring training game since Ria Cortesio in 2007. She was a Triple-A crew chief in 2024 and umpired in more spring training games in 2025.
“Baseball has done a great job of being completely inclusive,” said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I’ll be watching. It’s good for the sport,” he added.
MLB thus joins the NBA, which brokethe gender barrier with referees 28 years ago, or the NFL 10 years ago. The NHL has yet to have a woman as an on-ice referee.
A milestone for sport
“The Major League Baseball Umpires Association congratulates Jen Pawol on her historic Major League debut,” the MLBUA said in a statement. “This moment represents more than a personal milestone for Jen; it is a groundbreaking step for our profession and for the continued advancement of women in sport. Jen’s achievement is a testament to her skill, dedication and perseverance. We are proud to support Jen in her quest to break this barrier and look forward to welcoming more women to the umpiring profession,” they added.
Pawol played softball at Hofstra University and in the Amateur Softball Association for 10 years before making the jump to umpiring. “Personally, I love this job. I’m passionate about it and it’s part of who I am,” she acknowledged in 2016.
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