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The new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) launched its inaugural season last week, a bold venture that promises to bring elite women’s softball to 10 cities across the United States. What makes this launch especially significant is a strategic investment from Major League Baseball (MLB), marking the first time the organization has directly backed a professional women’s sports league.
This partnership marks a crucial moment for softball and women’s sports as a whole. At the forefront is AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng, a barrier-breaking former MLB executive and the first female general manager of a major men’s pro sports team. She calls the MLB support “a powerful message about the value of women athletes and the importance of creating professional opportunities for them.”
For years, professional softball leagues in the U.S. struggled to gain footing. Previous efforts like the Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL, 1997–2001) and National Pro Fastpitch (NPF, 2004–2021) folded due to underfunding and a lack of robust investment. The AUSL, backed by MLB’s resources and extensive reach, hopes to rewrite that narrative with a stronger financial foundation and operational support.
“As a part of our broader commitment to growing softball and creating more opportunities for women and girls in sports, this agreement reflects our confidence in Kim Ng’s leadership, the AUSL vision and the incredible talent of its athletes. During this extraordinarily exciting time for women’s sports, we want softball to thrive,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
MLB will assist with operational costs, joint marketing and sales initiatives and broadcast select games on MLB Network and MLB.com. AUSL athletes will also feature in MLB events such as the All-Star Game and postseason festivities, giving women’s softball visibility on the biggest stages.
Athletes Unlimited, the parent organization founded in 2010, has been running annual softball events in Rosemont, Illinois, for five years. The AUSL is a natural evolution, expanding those efforts into a full-fledged league with a unique scoring system and a highly competitive format.
Beyond Ng, the league’s leadership includes softball icons Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley, Jessica Mendoza and Cat Osterman, all serving as MLB Softball Ambassadors and lending credibility and experience to the league. This historic partnership represents a significant shift in professional women’s sports. By leveraging its brand and influence, MLB isn’t just supporting the new league; it’s sending a message that women’s softball deserves the same level of commitment and respect as men’s baseball.
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