The Women's Professional Baseball League (WPBL) kicked off its first season on August 1, 2026, in Springfield, Illinois, with a sold-out crowd at Robin Roberts Stadium. The league's four teams have played 30 regular-season games, marked by standout performances like Kelsie Whitmore's three-homer game and Andréanne Leblanc's walk-off grand slam. The San Francisco Firebells emerged as the top team, and the playoffs began on September 9 to determine the league champion. The WPBL is launching during a period of growth for women's sports in the United States. Established leagues like the WNBA and the National Women's Soccer League are seeing increased investment, higher team valuations, and growing fanbases. Women's sports revenue is expected to reach about $3 billion in 2026, a 340% increase from four years ago. The WPBL aims to tap into this momentum while addressing the need for a professional pathway for women and girls who want to play baseball rather than softball. Historically, women have played baseball in the U.S. since the 1860s, but stereotypes have often associated baseball with men and softball with women. While Little League Baseball allowed girls to participate starting in 1974, the same year saw the founding of Little League Softball, which directed girls toward softball. Opportunities for women in baseball have remained limited in the U.S., with few NCAA-sanctioned teams and many switching to softball by high school. In contrast, countries like Japan, Canada, and Australia have more established developmental pipelines for women's baseball. Nearly half of the 65 WPBL players are from other countries, including 11 from Canada, eight from Japan, five from Mexico, and four from Australia. Japan's Ayami Sato, considered the best women's baseball pitcher in the world, was selected second in the draft. Other first-round picks included Thaima Maximiliana from Curacao and South Korea's Hyeonah Kim. American players like Kelsie Whitmore, who plays for the Savannah Bananas, a traveling team known for its entertaining style, have also made names for themselves. Each WPBL team has a salary cap of $95,000, with players earning approximately $6,333 for the eight-week season. The league covers housing and living expenses and shares sponsorship revenue with players, in addition to any personal endorsement deals they might secure.