WASHINGTON -- The batter had barely finished his swing -- whiffing on a pitch up and over the plate -- before Mo’ne Davis scampered off the mound with a friendly grin on her face and the shouts of an adoring crowd in her ears. At 13 years old, she had just become the first girl to earn a win (and throw a shutout) in the Little League World Series.
Eleven years later, on Friday in Washington, D.C., Davis was back for more.
This time, instead of being one of two girls playing on boys’ teams, Davis took the field alongside hundreds of women trying out for the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL). It is the first professional baseball league for women in the United States since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League -- the inspiration for A League of Their Own -- shuttered in 1954.
“I just feel like I can never get away from [baseball],” said Davis, now 24. “No matter how hard I try, somehow it’s always going to pull me back in different directions.”
Founded by Justine Siegal, MLB’s first woman coach, the WPBL will begin play in 2026. Tryouts started Friday at the Nationals’ Youth Baseball Academy and will continue over the weekend, with the nearly 600 athletes who signed up participating in baserunning and catching drills, throwing bullpen sessions and taking batting practice. After a round of cuts, the remaining athletes will play in games on Monday at Nationals Park to determine who makes the 150-player draft that will feed the league’s six teams in October.
After rocketing to fame in 2014, Davis played softball at Hampton University, coached at MLB’s Trailblazer Series, earned a graduate degree from Columbia and graced MLB mounds with ceremonial first pitches. Now, the WPBL represents a perfect opportunity for someone who’s spent her life growing the game and inspiring others.
“The opportunity to play in a women's league is huge just because when I was younger, there was nothing like this around,” Davis said. “For younger girls to have something to look forward to as they get older is really fun. I know they always say, ‘Oh, go to softball,’ but it's two completely different sports. So when you have something to look forward to, it makes things 10 times better. You have something in life that you want to go and achieve.”
Known for her skills as a pitcher -- she was hitting 70 mph as a 13-year-old -- Davis also was trying out as an infielder and an outfielder. She was ready to show off her skills at the plate, too.
“I've been doing a lot of hitting. I feel like this is my redemption era, because I got one hit in [the] Little League [World Series],” Davis said. “So this is my time to come back and show people that I can actually hit.”
Davis isn’t the only notable player bringing her talents to the WPBL. Also on the field over the weekend, among others, will be Kelsie Whitmore, the first woman to join an MLB partner league team, and Ayami Sato, a Japanese baseball legend considered the best female pitcher in the world.
Alongside them are hundreds of elite female athletes hailing from everywhere from California to Korea who are eager to play professional baseball.
“I love competition a lot. I'm very competitive,” said Lauren Trad, a player from Rhode Island. “So for me, that's a big part of what makes it fun. … I think wanting to take it to that tier where you're not really expected to be and be able to show like, ‘Yeah, I can do this too.’ That’s a big part of it.”
Many of the WPBL hopefuls grew up playing baseball with boys in Little League or high school. Some continued their careers on national teams, softball teams or club baseball squads, or worked for college baseball organizations. Others participated in MLB's youth programming, which includes several events specifically for girls baseball: the Trailblazer Series, Breakthrough Series, Elite Development Invitational and MLB GRIT: the Girls ID tour. And some have just played in their backyards or hit in the cages with friends. But for the first time, they have the opportunity to play in a league of their own.
“I mean, I haven't seen girls play, period. And then you come out here and you see, like, hundreds of girls, and you're just bewildered by the fact of it,” said Ginger Duncan, a catcher from California. “It's just amazing. I've played since I was 5 and then did high school, college. I was always the only one. I play in a men's league now; 400 dudes, one girl -- me. So it's amazing.”
Even as players fought for a few coveted spots on Friday, the sense of camaraderie was tangible, with cheers ringing out every time a player slid into third or fired a seed to home plate.
“I think women's baseball is going to be a lot of fun. I think it's going to be a different type of vibe,” Davis said. “I feel like women are more encouraging to other women. They want the best for other women. ...
“[I’m] just trying to [be] a friendly face and making sure everyone feels welcome and everyone kind of plays with confidence. I feel like when you have a friendly face around, you know your confidence goes up. So just trying to be that friendly face for people.”
More than a decade after her LLWS success, Davis is still that talented girl on a baseball field with a friendly grin on her face. But this time, she’s not the only one.