Jen Paul is set to become the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball game during this weekend’s matchup between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. According to MLB’s announcement on Wednesday, Paul will serve as a base umpire during Saturday’s doubleheader at Truist Park and will be behind the plate on Sunday.
At 48 years old and hailing from New Jersey, Paul has been part of spring training games in 2024 and has established herself as the seventh woman to work as a professional baseball umpire. Her umpiring career began in the Gulf Coast League in 2016, following many years as a referee for amateur softball.
In 2023, Paul advanced to Triple-A, officiating as the home plate umpire during the Triple-A National Championship game, where she worked across both the International and Pacific Coast Leagues involving their respective champions. She became the first woman in 34 years to umpire at the Triple-A level in Minor League Baseball.
Paul’s role in the 2024 spring training made her the third female umpire ever to do so. She returned for spring training in 2025 and was featured on MLB’s call-up list. Paul, the first woman since 2007 to umpire in Spring Training, remarked that umpiring is a promising career path, noting that she had less awareness about professional umpiring before spending ten years as a referee for amateur softball.
This milestone in MLB comes a decade after the NBA ended its all-male referee policy, three years after female referees were included in the Men’s Soccer World Cup, and nearly three decades following the breaking of gender barriers in the NBA for players.
Fan Take: Jen Paul’s groundbreaking role as the first woman umpire in a Major League game marks a significant step toward greater gender diversity and inclusion in baseball. This progress not only inspires aspiring female umpires but also enriches the sport by broadening perspectives and opportunities within the game.
