Even following 148 years of the MLB, this league has never had a female umpire. However, on August 9th, 2025, Jen Pawoll made history and became the first female umpire to work a MLB regular season game. Following pregame introductions in which her name was called, this historic accomplishment was rewarded with a standing ovation.
On a Saturday afternoon in Truist Park, Powal umpired Game 1 of the Marlins-Braves day-night doubleheader. As she walked the field early with the crew she said “I’d say when we walked the field [is when it hit me],” and her emotions took over because she realized that this is all she has been working for. As she walked onto the field for the start of the game, many people started clapping and saying her name which showed intense appreciation for Powal.
Before this historic event, Powal had been umpiring professionally for 10 seasons, beginning in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016. She heard she would be working an MLB game earlier in the week and started to feel overcome with emotion.
After the game, her smile remained with her all week, and she told the press that “it was super emotional to finally be living that phone call that I’d been hoping for and working towards for quite a while.” This is so many people’s dream, and Powal feels beyond appreciative to live it firsthand.
Besides being the first woman to work an MLB game, she has many other accomplishments umpiring in baseball. She became the first woman to umpire a Triple-A championship and the first in 34 years to work a Triple-A game earlier that season. She was also the first woman since 2007 to umpire a Spring Training game in 2024 and that same year she reached MLB’s Umpire Call-Up list.
For Powal, this felt more than just an accomplishment. It allowed her, as well as others, to believe that seemingly distant dreams are actually attainable. Umpiring this game was a huge deal to her and many, although men do it every single day. Breaking the gender barrier and proving that women are more than good enough to do anything men can do is an incredible inspiration.
