Jen Pawol Is Major League Baseball's First Female Umpire!
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In a landmark moment for professional sports, Jen Pawol became the first woman to umpire a regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game on August 9, 2025. Pawol officiated as the first-base umpire during the first game of a doubleheader between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta.
The 48-year-old made further history the next day as the main umpire behind home plate for the second game of the series. Home plate is where the batter stands and players score runs. The umpire there has the crucial job of calling balls and strikes.
"I think Jen did a really nice job," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said afterward. "I think she's very composed back there. She handled and managed the game very well. And big day for her. Big day for Major League Baseball."
Born on December 29, 1976, in West Milford, New Jersey, Pawol was an athlete from an early age. She played soccer and softball in high school and continued at Hofstra University as a catcher for the Division I softball team. In 2001, while in college, she played on the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, which won the inaugural Baseball Women’s World Series. Around the same time, Pawol also began umpiring softball games to earn extra money. She enjoyed it so much that she continued officiating part-time for over a decade.
Pawol also pursued a career in education, earning a Master of Fine Arts from Hunter College in 2005. She worked as an art teacher before deciding to pursue umpiring full-time.
In 2016, Pawol took a big step toward her dream by attending the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy. She steadily climbed the minor league ranks, honing her skills in games across multiple levels. Before her regular-season debut, she gained further experience officiating MLB Spring Training games. In March 2024, Pawol was placed on Major League Baseball’s call-up list, giving her the chance to step in if a full-time umpire was unavailable. Pawol’s next assignment has not been announced, but she is eager for the opportunity.
Pawol’s milestone adds to a growing legacy of women breaking barriers as sports officials. In 1997, Violet Palmer became the first female NBA referee. Sarah Thomas broke ground in 2015 as the first woman to officiate an NFL game. In 2022, Stéphanie Frappart made history as the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup soccer match.
Resources: NPR.org, MLB.com, CNN.com
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