Women's Professional Baseball League launching in 2026 offers new hope for athletes

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Victoria Ruelas was 12 years old when she made history as the first American girl to play in the Little League World Series.

That was in 1989. And while Ruelas is proud of how far women in sports have come since her childhood, she can't help but wish there were more opportunities for them to shine. Especially in baseball, where opportunities beyond youth leagues have so often required girls to take unusual paths, most of them alongside men.

“We keep saying how much strides we’re making,” Ruelas said. "But they’re so slow in coming. It just should be faster.

“I get excited when I see girls playing and getting to go to the Little League World Series every year. But to still be one here, one there — that’s upsetting to me. There’s so much more of us out there that pla