Ayami Sato, the greatest pitcher in women’s baseball, is ready for her American debut | WPBL op…

Explore the latest developments concerning Ayami Sato, the.

Ayami Sato, the greatest pitcher in women’s baseball, is ready for her American debut

A six-time world champion and three-time World Cup MVP, Japan’s Ayami Sato joins the new Women’s Professional Baseball League hoping to help build the sport’s future

When Ayami Sato takes the mound as the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Queens on Saturday, it will be the culmination of a professional career that has spanned 16 years and three countries. The right-handed hurler is largely considered the best pitcher in the history of women’s baseball. She has the awards and experience to prove it, and now she’s taking on America when she makes her debut in the Women’s Professional Baseball League, the first pro women’s baseball league in the United States since the 1950s.

WPBL opener: LA Queens to face New York Heights in inaugural game of Women's Pro Baseball League

The Los Angeles Queens will face the New York Heights in the first game of the Women's Pro Baseball League today in Springfield, Illinois.

The best-known member of the Queens is outfielder Mo'ne Davis, who in 2014 became the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series and first Little Leaguer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Davis played softball at Hampton University in 2020 and 2022, was an intern in the Dodgers' video production department in 2023, received a master's degree in sports management from Columbia University in 2024 and played for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Banana Ball Championship League earlier this year.

Over a decade removed from her Little League World Series moment, Mo’ne Davis is poised to make history again

Davis, once a teen star with the Taney Dragons, now is a center fielder for the WPBL's Los Angeles Queens. She's ready to pave the way for what she hopes is years of pro women’s baseball to come.

When Mo’ne Davis heard that there was going to be a professional women’s baseball league, she couldn’t believe it.

“I thought it was fake at first,” Davis said. “I just thought it was a fan’s idea of wanting to see a women’s baseball league.”

Then she saw Kelsie Whitmore (the first woman to play in a MLB partner league) sign on as a player and former baseball and softball standout Alex Hugo sign on as an adviser and thought, “OK, this might actually be a thing.” After confirming that the Women’s Pro Baseball League was actually happening and being encouraged to think about it, the Philadelphia native and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate joined the 600-plus women trying out August 2025 to be considered for the draft that fall. From there, she was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Queens.

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