MLB to make history with first female umpire in a regular season game this weekend
Jen Pawol is expected to umpire three Major League games on Saturday and Sunday, which will be between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves.
Major League Baseball (MLB) this weekend in Atlanta is planning to make history with the first female umpire expected to oversee a regular-season game.
Jen Pawol is expected to umpire three Major League games on Saturday and Sunday, which will be between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves, consisting of two games on Saturday and one on Sunday. She will be behind home plate for Sunday's game.
Pawol, who played softball at Hofstra University, has climbed the professional ranks over the years. She was an umpire for Rookie ball in 2016 and later became an umpire for Triple-A in 2023. She advanced from there as an umpire for MLB's Spring Training last year and in 2025.
“Anybody in baseball will tell you that you’ve just got to keep it simple, keep working hard, put your all into it and get ready for the next day,” Pawol told MLB.com. “That’s all I think about every day — get better before tomorrow.”
She is now one of 17 current Triple-A umpires eligible to serve as a substitute in Major League games.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.