An All-American softball catcher who became an art instructor and paints during the day and calls strikes at night is now rewriting history. Jen Pawol will make her MLB debut as the first female umpire on August 9, 2025. She will be in charge of both games in a doubleheader between the Marlins and Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta.
This isn’t just another milestone; it’s a huge change in America’s pastime. Baseball didn’t officially acknowledge women as officials until 2006. Now, Pawol isn’t just tearing down walls; she’s obliterating them with the accuracy of a strike.
But do you know her journey to MLB? Well, let’s find out!
Who is Jen Pawol? Know everything about the MLB’s first woman umpire
Jen Pawol was born on December 29, 1976, in West Milford, New Jersey. Baseball was always on at home on television. A tradition that continued after her mother, Victoria Pawol, passed away, which brought her and her father “super close.”
She was a three-time all-state athlete in softball and soccer at West Milford High School. She got a softball scholarship to Hofstra University, then studied painting at Hunter College. Jen Pawol has a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute and an M.F.A. from Hunter College. And she played college softball as a catcher for Hofstra. In 2001, she even played for the USA women’s national baseball team.
Credit: nbcnews.com.
So, when commissioner Rob Manfred said, “She has earned this opportunity, and we are proud of the strong example she has set, particularly for all the women and young girls who aspire to roles on the field,” it wasn’t just a soundbite. It was a spotlight on a route Jen had been carving for herself since college.
Her first assignment: A look at her journey of becoming an umpire
Jen Pawol didn’t just decide to switch from the art room to the baseball diamond. She umpired NCAA softball from 2010 to 2016, and in August 2015, she went to an MLB umpire camp after veteran MLB ump Ted Barrett invited her. Her response to that was playful. “You know I’m a woman, right?” But she did it, and she left the camp with a scholarship to the famous league umpire academy.
That camp led to Vero Beach’s Umpire Training Academy and then her first professional game in June 2016 in the Gulf Coast League. She was the first woman to do this in almost ten years. After that, things kept getting better: she finished the MiLB Advanced Course in 2017 and started moving up the minor leagues.
She broke another record by 2023, becoming the first woman to umpire at the Triple-A level in 34 years. She also worked behind the plate in the Triple-A National Championship game. In 2024 and 2025, she got spring training assignments that proved she was not just capable, but also consistent.
Is she married? All to know about her husband
Jen Pawol has not publicly shared details about her marital status yet. While her groundbreaking career in baseball and her background are well-documented, she tends to keep her romantic life private.
As she continues to break barriers in Major League Baseball, Jen’s focus remains on her professional achievements.
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