Breaking Barriers: Jen Pawol Set to Make Major League Debut as First Female Umpire in 150 Years
Jen Pawol’s long-awaited phone call finally came in Nashville, Tennessee, signaling her historic debut as the first female umpire in over a century of major league baseball.
On the weekend, she will make history by working the bases during Miami’s doubleheader at Atlanta. Reflecting on the emotional moment, Pawol shared, “I was overwhelmed with emotion, it was deeply emotional to finally be living that call I had been hoping for and working towards for so long.”
Reminiscing about her early days, Pawol recalled a summer conversation in the 1990s at West Milford High School in New Jersey. Lauren Rissmeyer, a teammate on the school’s softball team, asked if she wanted to umpire with her. Without hesitation, Pawol agreed, and began her career earning $15 per game.
Pawol’s journey continued through college at Hofstra University where she became a three-time all-conference softball selection. After umpiring NCAA softball from 2010 to 2016, Ted Barrett, a big league umpire at the time, recognized her potential during an umpire camp in Binghamton, New York.
Barrett offered Pawol an opportunity to attend a clinic in Atlanta and then a tryout camp at Cincinnati on August 15. Following this, she started her professional umpiring career in the Gulf Coast League on June 24, 2016.
Since then, Pawol has climbed through various minor leagues, including the New York/Penn League, Midwest League, South Atlantic League, High-A Midwest League, Double-A Eastern League, and Triple-A International and Pacific Coast Leagues. She was called in for big league spring training in 2024 and 2025.
“This has been over 1,200 minor league games, countless hours of video review trying to get better, and underneath it all has just been this passion and love for the game of baseball,” Pawol said. “Umpiring is for me, it’s in my DNA. It’s been a long, hard journey.”
Joining Chris Guccione’s crew in Atlanta, Pawol expects around 30 family and friends to be present. She will work the bases during Saturday’s doubleheader and call balls and strikes on Sunday.
During a game on Wednesday night, Jacksonville beat Nashville in the International League, and Sounds third baseman Oliver Dunn congratulated her. Dunn assured her, “If I make it to the big leagues, we will have both worked all the levels together.”
Pawol expressed gratitude towards her minor league umpiring predecessors like Christine Wren, Pam Postema, and Ria Cortesio, who encouraged and supported her along the way. Barrett, her initial mentor, will be watching from Oregon this weekend.
“The hopes are that it inspires,” Barrett said. “Who knows, there’ll be a young lady watching the game on TV and says, ‘Hey, I’d like to try that.'”