San Francisco One of Four Cities to Get Women's Pro Baseball League Team for Inaugural Season

"We feel there is tremendous support there in the future of women's sports, and we think that community will really embrace the women's baseball league, said Keith Stein, who co-founded the league with former A's coach Justine Siegal, per the Chronicle. We understand the sort of cosmopolitan climate, and we feel we have a sense for the values and thinking of the San Francisco community, and we just think it really aligns well with everything our league stands for, and everything we want to accomplish."

"Per the Chronicle, the 2026 season's games will be played in neutral cities across the country to help spread the word about the league, with potential exhibition games taking place in the four teams' cities, including Oracle Park. The WPBL had tryouts in August and will be drafting 120 top players from a star-studded list to fill 15 spots on each team, which don't have names yet, per the Chronicle."

"Each of the inaugural cities carries deep baseball roots and a passionate fanbase. They're iconic baseball towns that share our belief that women deserve a place in professional baseball. From the storied rivalries of the Northeast to the innovation and energy of the West Coast, the WPBL's first four teams create a natural balance, WPBL organizers wrote in a statement, per KRON4."

The Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) selected San Francisco as one of four founding cities for its inaugural 2026 season, alongside Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. Justine Siegal co-founded the league with Keith Stein. The decision was influenced by the recent success and community support for the Golden State Valkyries and Bay FC. The 2026 season's games will be played in neutral cities nationwide to raise awareness, with potential exhibition games in the four cities including Oracle Park. The WPBL held tryouts in August and plans to draft 120 players to fill 15 roster spots per team. The inaugural cities are described as iconic baseball towns with passionate fanbases, and Oakland Ballers player Kelsie Whitmore is noted as a sought-after candidate.

Read at sfist.com