Jen Pawol to make history during Braves series as MLB’s 1st female umpire
Credit: AP
When Jen Pawol was in her first year umpiring in Triple-A, she encountered Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright while he was on a rehab assignment. She was conducting a mandatory substance check when Wainwright, a Brunswick native and former Braves farmhand, wanted to share a message.
“He right off the bat said, ‘Jen, I just want you to know that I have daughters, and I think this is so cool,’” Pawol said. “’I’m rooting for you.’”
Now, Pawol will forever be a trailblazer. She’ll make MLB history this weekend at Truist Park when she’ll become the first woman to umpire a regular-season major league game, between the Braves and Marlins.
She will work the bases during both games of Saturday’s doubleheader. She’s scheduled to be behind the plate Sunday.
“It’s unbelievably special. I’m aware of the gravity, aware of the magnitude,” Pawol said. “I believe that I’m going to be a very good steward and representative for young girls and women and boys and men that this is possible.
“We have a lot to celebrate this weekend. I’m ready. I’m excited. I cannot wait to take the field on the major league diamond. It’s been a long time coming.”
Pawol, 48, has served as a minor league umpire since 2016. She’s been a Triple-A umpire since 2023 and has worked major league spring-training games the past two years. In February 2024, she became the first woman to work an MLB spring training game in 17 years.
She received news of her call-up Wednesday morning in Nashville, Tennessee, where she’s working a series between the Sounds and Jacksonville. She’s since been bombarded with congratulatory messages. And she’s expecting around 30 family members and friends in attendance.
“This historic accomplishment in baseball is a reflection of Jen’s hard work, dedication and love of the game,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “She has earned this opportunity, and we are proud of the strong example she has set, particularly for all the women and young girls who aspire to roles on the field. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my congratulations to Jen and her family on this milestone.”
A New Jersey native, Pawol attended Hofstra, where she was a catcher on the softball team. She first umpired a game in high school, which sparked early interest. She had attended MLB’s umpire camps, a developmental initiative for prospective umpires, before joining the minor league ranks nearly a decade ago. She actually received the invitation to attend the umpire camps from veteran umpire Ted Barrett while in Atlanta.
“This has been a 10-year interview process,” she said. “It’s been over 1,200 minor league games. Countless hours of video review trying to get better. Underneath it all has been this passion and love for the game of baseball.
“Umpiring is in my DNA. It’s been a long, hard journey to the top here, but I just love the camaraderie with my crew, the fellow umpires. I love the travel. I love the working out. There are so many similarities to being an athlete and an umpire. I never have to leave the field when I’m umpiring. I’m extremely focused on getting my calls right, and I’m so grateful to all those along the way who’ve helped me become a better umpire every day.”
Pawol is one of six female umpires at the minor league level. She expects that number to grow through the years, applauding a “healthy pipeline” of up-and-coming women in baseball, and she said she’s honored to play a part.
“I want (younger girls) to see that they can do this, that umpiring is for everybody,” Pawol said. “It’s something that if you love the game, you can pursue it. … It makes me think that I must be doing something right, that we’re doing something right here in (MLB). My partners and I are doing something right as a crew. It makes me want to go out there and work even harder.”
The Braves and Marlins will play five games in a four-day span beginning Thursday. The standings probably aren’t what one was expecting to see in August: The upstart Marlins (56-57) are a whopping nine games ahead of the Braves (47-66), who almost will certainly miss the postseason for the first time since 2017.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
