Jen Pawol’s first experience as an umpire came in the early 1990s, when a friend asked if she would work a softball game with her.
Pawol, a former softball star at Hofstra University and a three-time All-Conference selection as a catcher, did so.
Some 30 years later, Pawol made Major League history on Saturday, when she became the first woman to umpire in a regular season game, taking the field for Game 1 of a doubleheader between the Marlins and Braves at Truist Park. She umpired at first base in the opener of the twin bill, and then at third base in the nightcap.
Saturday was a very special day for Pawol and for baseball, but Sunday will be significant as well — in the series finale between Miami and Atlanta, Pawol will be calling balls and strikes behind the plate. You won’t want to miss the historic occasion, and you can catch it live as MLB.TV’s Free Game of the Day (1:35 p.m. ET).
Between the games on Saturday, Pawol discussed how it felt to blaze the trail for women umpires and the hard work it took to reach the Majors.
“Just incredible,” she said. “The dream actually came true today, and I’m still living in it. And I’m just so grateful to my family, to Major League Baseball for just creating such an amazing work environment. To all the umpires that I work with … it’s just amazing camaraderie. We’re having fun out there — we’re working hard but we’re having fun. I was so thankful.”
Pawol is used to being a pioneer in the umpiring world — she was the first woman to umpire a Triple-A championship in 2023, and she was the first in 34 years to work a Triple-A game earlier that season. She was also the first woman in 17 years to umpire a Spring Training game in 2024.
Still, this was something different. This was reaching the pinnacle of umpiring and being the first woman to do it. And Sunday will be something different again when she dons a facemask and takes her place behind the plate in an MLB game.
Given all Pawol has been through and the culmination of a journey of more than three decades, she has not only handled the bright spotlight of the big leagues with aplomb, but she is also adding to her legacy every time she takes the field.
“It’s a long road,” Pawol said. “It’s not an overnight road, or it’s not one promotion. There’s countless, countless things that you do. This and then that. And then this and then that. And I think a lot of people give up along that road. So just see it through, make friends, have fun and just give it a try.”
Pawol has gained many friends and many admirers along the way. And in many ways, she’s just getting started with an exciting — and groundbreaking — new chapter.
Up next is Sunday’s series finale between the Marlins and Braves, when she’ll be part of the action on every single pitch.
