Let’s recap the first Women’s Professional Baseball League Draft.
A monumental night for women’s sports took place on Nov. 20. The Women’s Professional Baseball League had the draft for its inaugural season. The season will begin in August 2026. The draft consisted of six rounds, each team getting five picks per round. Each team will draft 30 players, but only 15 will make the team’s roster. San Francisco had the first pick, followed by Los Angeles, then New York and lastly, Boston. Teams are allowed to start trading their players on Jan. 1, 2026.
Boston’s First Round Picks
Catcher Hyeonah Kim from Seoul, South Korea, was Boston’s first pick and the fourth overall.
Kim, who is 25, is a part of the Korean National Baseball Team and competed in the 2025 Women’s Baseball Asian Cup.
Their next pick was right-handed pitcher Alli Schroder from Fruitvale, British Columbia, Canada
She plays for Canada’s National Women’s Baseball Team. In 2018, Schroder played in the Women’s Baseball World Cup. She is also a firefighter in Canada.
Boston’s third pick was Raine Padgham, a right-handed pitcher from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. Padgham pitches for Canada’s National Baseball Women’s Team. She attended Thompson Rivers University, where she played for the club baseball team.
The third baseman, Zoe Hicks, from Boissevain, Manitoba, Canada, was the fourth pick. In 2023, Hicks played in the Women’s Baseball World Cup with Team Canada. She is a Graduate Assistant for the Florida State University Softball Team.
The last pick in the first round was left fielder Alexis Hastings from Holly Springs, North Carolina. Hastings played softball for the University of Connecticut. In 2024, she won Big East Player of the Year.
Boston’s Picks Round Two through Six
Round 2
Pick 1 Kate Blunt – SS
Pick 8 Denver Bryant – 2B
Pick 9 Ticara Geldenhuis – OF
Pick 16 Suzuka Yamamoto – SS
Pick 17 Maiki Dumais – RHP
Round 3
Pick 4 Gisella Schiano – RHP
Pick 5 Maria Jose Valenzuela – IF
Pick 12 Molly Paddison – CF
Pick 13 Beth Greenwood – Catcher
Pick 20 Sabrina Robinson – 1B
Round 4
Pick 1 Gabrielle Haas – SS
Pick 8 Paloma Benach – LHP
Pick 9 Stephanie Everett – LF
Pick 16 Luciana Moreno – IF
Pick 17 Allie Bebbere – RHP
Round 5
Pick 4 Emily Baxter – OF
Pick 5 Braidy Birdsall – 2B
Pick 12 Meaghan Houk – IF
Pick 13 Laura Hirai – RHP
Pick 20 Olivia Bricker – LHP
Round 6
Pick 1 Sadie Zion – 1B
Pick 8 Nadia Diaz – 3B
Pick 9 Nylah Ramirez – RHP
Pick 16 Clara Rice – 1B
Pick 17 Mary Grace O’Neill – 1B
Top Draft Picks
The first overall draft pick was pitcher Kelsie Whitmore, who was selected by San Francisco. Whitmore plays for the United States National Women’s Baseball Team and also played baseball for the Savannah Bananas. The second pick, selected by Los Angeles, was pitcher Ayami Sato. She plays for Japan’s Women’s Baseball Team. New York had the third pick and selected third baseman Kylee Lahners. She has been a part of the USA Women’s National Baseball Team since 2018.