Kelsie Whitmore became the first 1-1 selection, while Mo’Ne Davis heard her name called just nine picks later as the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural draft populated four teams in advance of its 2026 debut season.
The Nov. 20 player selection reveal illustrated just how much the game has thrived globally.
Five countries – the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the Dominican Republic – were represented in the first nine picks, as Whitmore’s selection by the San Francisco franchise was followed by Los Angeles selecting 35-year-old Japanese pitching legend Ayami Sato.
Players from Mexico, Curacao, Australia, France and England were also eventually selected in the 120-player draft, with player ages ranging from 18 to 37.
Davis, who rose to fame by throwing a shutout at the 2014 Little League World Series, was drafted 10th by Los Angeles. Davis went on to play basketball and collegiate softball at Hampton University, and earned a graduate degree from Columbia.
Whitmore, 27, made her name in men’s baseball spaces throughout her playing career, starting with the independent Sonoma Stompers and then Staten Island in the Atlantic League. She spent last season playing for the Savannah Bananas, while relishing the chance to play in an all-women’s league.
‘It brings freedom. It allows you to feel so free with yourself,’ Whitmore said at the August WPBL tryouts.
Ashton Lansdell, who played for the Savannah Bananas’ Party Animals franchise and an Ole Miss softball alum, was selected seventh overall by Los Angeles.
All four franchises – San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and New York – will play in a central location, which in 2026 will be Springfield, Illinois. The season is slated to begin in August.
WPBL draft results
A look at the top 30 WPBL draft picks:
San Francisco: Kelsie Whitmore, P/OF, USA
Los Angeles: Ayami Sato, RHP, Japan
New York: Kyleie Lahners, INF, USA
Boston: Hyeonah Kim, C, South Korea
Boston: Alli Schroder, RHP, Canada
New York: Denae Benitez, INF, USA
Los Angeles: Ashton Lansdell, 3B, USA
San Francisco: Amanda Gianelloni, INF, USA
San Francisco: Joey Leguizamon, SS, Dominican Republic
Los Angeles: Mo’Ne Davis, RHP, USA
New York: Rakyung Kim, RHP/INF, South Korea
Boston: Raine Padgham, RHP, Canada
Boston: Zoe Hicks, 3B, Canada
New York: Jaida Lee, RHP, Canada
Los Angeles: Meggie Meidlinger, RHP, USA
San Francisco: Jill Albayati, RHP, USA
San Francisco: Samantha Gutierrez, C, USA
Los Angeles: Thaima Maxiliana, SS, Curacao
New York: London Studer, 1B, USA
Boston: Alexis Hastings, OF, USA
Boston: Kate Blunt, SS, USA
New York: Kiera Izumi, SS, USA
Los Angeles: Jamie Mackay, C, USA
San Francisco: Ayaka Yamamoto, 3B, Japan
San Francisco: Niki Eckert, LHP, USA
Los Angeles: Emi Saiki, SS, Japan
New York: Yonetani Natsuki, OF, Japan
Boston: Denver Bryant, 2B, USA
Boston: Ticara Geldenhuis, Australia
New York: Alyssa Zettlemoyer, C, USA
The complete list of players drafted can be found here.
