The Dominican became the first Latina player selected in the inaugural draw of the Women’s Pro Baseball League, which will begin operations in 2026.
Women’s professional baseball will return to the United States for the first time in more than 70 years, in what is projected to be one of the most momentous moments in the recent history of women’s sports. Following the announcement of a project supported by MLBthe Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) It will begin operating in the summer of 2026.
The season, scheduled to begin in August of next year, will feature four teams, Los Angeles, New York, Boston y San Franciscoand held its first draw for players on November 20. In the draft, each franchise selected up to 20 players, for a total of 120 players chosen.
Among the talent present in the draw, several names stood out, including the first overall selection, Kelsie Whitmore. However, there was one election that caught particular attention, that of the Dominican Joely Leguizamonwho became the first Latina player selected in league history when she was chosen as the ninth overall pick.
For those who follow baseball, it is no mystery that this sport is a true religion in the Dominican Republic, where children of all ages dream of wearing the uniform of a baseball franchise. MLB. However, it is rare to see women pursuing that same path, taking into account that culturally baseball has been dominated by men, while women tend to lean towards other disciplines, such as volleyball.
For this reason, ESPN Digital exclusively interviewed the player originally from the Caribbean country to find out how she began her journey in baseball, the path that took her to the draft of the WPBLthe importance of family support and the challenges he faced during his development.
“Something was simply born in me, I fell in love, I liked the competition“, he recounted Leguizamon about his first contact with baseball, at the young age of five. “I didn’t have in mind if they were boys or girls, I was simply there playing, competing, and that’s how I started.“added the Dominican, explaining that she came to the sport when her parents were looking for extracurricular activities for her and her siblings after school.
Taking into account the widespread belief that baseball is a male-dominated sport, ESPN spoke with the player about the challenges she faced competing against men during her training. Contrary to what many might think, Leguizamon He assured that he never had problems with his colleagues.
“I knew I was on my own little island and that I would always be the only one“he explained.”For men, at the beginning, it is always a new experience to play with a woman, but at the age of 12 I was five or six years old and was the only one. Challenges became part of my normality”, he commented.
“Of course you hear from parents who don’t want you to be playing, because they feel that perhaps you are taking away a position from their son, and in baseball, especially in the Dominican Republic, it is seen as an opportunity to get ahead and sign professionally.”he added.
Leguizamon He stressed that, beyond those comments, his experience has been mostly positive. “I have had and continue to have wonderful experiences with my teammates and rivals. There has always been respect. It’s not that they see me as a woman or a man, on the field we are all players and the one who can do it best wins. We are all there because we like sport and we share the same goal”, he stated.
Her hard work as a player, which spans more than 21 years on the field, along with her vision of growth in the sport, led her to become the ninth pick in the NBA draft. WPBL and the first Latina to achieve it, an honor that she does not take lightly because of what she represents as a woman, as a Dominican, and as a professional athlete.
“When I think about that moment, I start sweating again“, he said with a laugh. “There were a lot of nerves, not questioning the decision to enter the draft, but waiting what was going to happen. You had already made the tryout, you had been playing this sport for 21 years and you had done everything in your power. It doesn’t compare to any other moment I’ve ever experienced, it was completely unique”, he confessed.
“When I heard my name, the first thing I felt was happiness. I said to myself, ‘ok, now we play.’ Seeing your name being called, your photo appearing and clips of you playing, it makes you think, ‘that’s me.’ You feel living the dream, not trying to achieve it”, he recounted.
“Being the first Latina to be selected, thinking about a generation of girls who will now have the opportunity to see us play and dream of being professionals, is a huge honor. I don’t take it lightly. I know that I have to work hard so that others can see themselves reflected in us, in the same way that I grew up watching players who inspired me.”he concluded.
Joely Leguizamon It is an example of hard work, family support and perseverance, but, above all, an example that in sport, gender does not define talent. The WPBL It represents an opportunity that has not existed in the United States for more than seven decades and, starting in 2026, girls in both the United States and the Dominican Republic will, for the first time, have a figure with whom they can identify and be inspired to pursue a dream that for years was seen as exclusive to men.
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