{{short description|American baseball umpire (born 1976)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Jen Pawol | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|12|29}} | birth_place = West Milford, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | image = Jen Pawol (53706690066) (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = Pawol at Werner Park in 2024 | team = MLB | number = 95 | position = Umpire | debutleague = MLB | debutdate = August 9 | debutyear = 2025 | finaldate = | finalyear = | umpirecrew = Unassigned (Triple-A call-up list) | crewchief = | crew2 = | crew3 = | crew4 = | highlights = Special Assignments *Triple-A National Championship Game (2023) *First woman to umpire a regular season MLB game (August 9, 2025) |show-medals=no |medaltemplates= {{MedalSport | Women's baseball }} {{Medal | Country | {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Women's Baseball World Series }} {{MedalGold | 2001 Toronto | Team }} }}
'''Jennifer Pawol''' (born December 29, 1976)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Tracy |date=December 25, 2024 |title=Jen Pawol |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jen-Pawol |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref> is an American baseball umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). She became the first female umpire in MLB when she debuted on August 9, 2025. She is the seventh woman to work as a professional baseball umpire.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Augustine |first1=Gabrielle |title=Pawol breaking umpire barriers |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/short-stops/jen-pawol-breaking-umpiring-barriers |website=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |date=March 1, 2018}}</ref> Since she was called up to MLB, she has worn uniform number 95.<ref name=":1" />
==Early life== Attending West Milford High School in West Milford, New Jersey, Pawol played soccer and softball, attending Hofstra University on an athletic scholarship and playing as a catcher in Division I softball for the Pride. It was during this time that she began umpiring softball games.<ref name="sabr">{{cite web |last1=Heaphy |first1=Leslie |title=Professional Woman Umpires |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/professional-woman-umpires/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research |date=2017}}</ref> She was paid $15 per game.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |date=August 7, 2025 |title=Sliders: Jen Pawol's perseverance, support network have her ready to make MLB umpiring history |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6537003/2025/08/07/jen-pawol-mlb-female-umpire-ted-barrett/ |access-date=August 8, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
In 2001, she was part of the gold medal winning United States team (the precursor to the United States women's national baseball team) in the Women's Baseball World Series, which was the first recognized international women's baseball tournament.<ref name=":0" />
Before going into professional umpiring, Pawol was an art teacher. She is a graduate of the Pratt Institute (B.F.A.) and Hunter College (M.F.A.). During this time, she continued to umpire part-time in amateur softball leagues.<ref name="sabr" />
==Umpiring career== ===Minor leagues=== After umpiring softball games part-time for 11 years, Pawol decided to go into umpiring full-time. In 2016, she attended the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach, Florida. Her performance at the academy led to a spot in the MiLB Advanced Course which she completed in 2017. That same year, she began her professional baseball career in the Gulf Coast League.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Benjamin |title=Pawol continues legacy behind the plate |url=https://www.milb.com/news/umpire-jen-pawol-continues-legacy-behind-the-plate |work=MiLB.com |date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> Pawol also donated her umpire's mask to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hagen |first1=Paul |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/jen-pawol-donates-gear-to-hall-of-fame-c255876572 |title=Female ump Pawol honored to donate gear to HOF |access-date=March 14, 2026 |work=MLB.com |date=September 24, 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
During the 2023 season, she worked at the Triple-A level in both the International League and the Pacific Coast League, and was the home plate umpire during the Triple-A National Championship Game. She was the first female umpire to work at the Triple-A level in 34 years.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Heneghan |first1=Kelsie |title=Female umpire Jen Pawol to work home plate in Triple-A championship |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/jen-pawol-home-plate-umpire-triple-a-championship-game |work=MLB.com |date=September 30, 2023}}</ref>
In 2024, Pawol became the third woman to umpire in spring training, after Pam Postema and Ria Cortesio.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/female-umpire-jen-pawol-at-mlb-spring-training |title=Pawol to be first woman to umpire MLB Spring Training games since 2007 |first=Julia |last=Kreuz |website=MLB.com |date=February 12, 2024}}</ref> Pawol calls both Postema and Cortesio her mentors.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ghiroli |first=Brittany |date=May 24, 2024 |title=Jen Pawol to become third woman to umpire MLB spring training games |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5269813/2024/02/12/jen-pawol-mlb-umpire/ |access-date=August 8, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> She was the third base umpire during a game between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jen Pawol becomes first woman to umpire spring game since 2007 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39593154/jen-pawol-becomes-first-woman-umpire-spring-game-2007 |agency=Associated Press |website=ESPN.com |date=February 24, 2024}}</ref> She was a crew chief in Triple-A during the 2024 baseball season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39513548/jen-pawol-one-call-away-being-first-mlb-umpire |title=Jen Pawol one call away from being first woman MLB umpire |first=Jesse |last=Rogers |website=ESPN.com |date=February 12, 2024 |accessdate=February 12, 2024}}</ref> In March, it was reported that Pawol was placed on Major League Baseball's call-up list for the 2024 season, meaning that she could be called up to the majors in the event a full-time Major League umpire is not available.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Axisa |first1=Mike |title=Jen Pawol close to becoming first female umpire in majors, placed on MLB call-up list for this season |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/jen-pawol-close-to-becoming-first-female-umpire-in-majors-placed-on-mlb-call-up-list-for-this-season/ |work=CBS Sports |date=March 15, 2024}}</ref> She was selected to work spring training again in 2025.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=February 14, 2025|title=Five umpires receive promotions to the Major League staff |url= https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-five-umpires-receive-promotions-to-the-major-league-staff|access-date=February 14, 2025 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>
===Major League Baseball=== On August 9, 2025, Pawol made her MLB debut, becoming the first woman to umpire an MLB game during the regular season.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/aug/10/the-dream-came-true-major-league-baseball-gets-its-first-female-umpire |title='The dream came true': Major League Baseball gets its first female umpire |first=Angela |last=Giuffrida |date=August 10, 2025 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> She appeared as the first base umpire in the first game of a doubleheader between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, joining crew chief Chris Guccione at second base, Chad Whitson at third and David Rackley at home plate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MLB Gameday: Marlins 1, Braves 7 Final Score (08/09/2025) |url=https://www.mlb.com/gameday/marlins-vs-braves/2025/08/09/778431/final/box |access-date=August 11, 2025 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/aug/09/jen-pawol-first-female-mlb-umpire-debut |title=Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as first female umpire to work regular-season game |date=August 9, 2025 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> She was third base umpire in the second game of the doubleheader.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/08/10/jen-pawol-breaks-mlbs-gender-barrier-as-the-first-female-umpire-to-work-a-regular-season-game |title=Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game |date=August 10, 2025 |publisher=WBUR-FM |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> She continued as an umpire on Sunday, August 10, becoming the first female home plate umpire in an MLB regular-season game, in another game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pioneering MLB umpire Pawol debuts behind plate in Braves win |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/pioneering-mlb-umpire-pawol-debuts-behind-plate-in-braves-win/ar-AA1Kgqtt |access-date=March 14, 2026 |work=MSN |agency=AFP |date=August 10, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811002252/https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/pioneering-mlb-umpire-pawol-debuts-behind-plate-in-braves-win/ar-AA1Kgqtt |archive-date=August 11, 2025 |language=en-us}}</ref>
Pawol donated the cap she wore while umpiring her first MLB game on August 9 to the National Baseball Hall of Fame museum.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jen-pawol-mlb-history-first-female-umpire/ |title=Jen Pawol makes MLB history as first female umpire, donates cap to Hall of Fame |publisher=CBS News |date=August 10, 2025}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Baseball}} * List of Major League Baseball umpires * Women in baseball
== References == {{reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{cite news |last1=Janes |first1=Chelsea |title=MLB is overdue for a female umpire. One may be on the way. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/02/female-umpire-minor-league-baseball/ |work=The Washington Post |date=September 2, 2022}} * {{cite news |last1=Ghiroli |first1=Brittany |title=The umpire on the cusp of a watershed moment for baseball: 'I think she's going to do it' |url=https://theathletic.com/4640190/2023/06/27/jen-pawol-mlb-female-umpire/ |work=The Athletic |date=June 27, 2023}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * [https://www.mlb.com/search?q=Jen%20Pawol Jen Pawol] at MLB.com * [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/P/Ppawoj901.htm Retrosheet]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pawol, Jen}} Category:Living people Category:1976 births Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:American women referees and umpires Category:Baseball players from Passaic County, New Jersey Category:Hofstra Pride softball players Category:Hunter College alumni Category:Major League Baseball umpires Category:People from West Milford, New Jersey Category:Pratt Institute alumni Category:Softball players from New Jersey Category:United States women's national baseball team players Category:West Milford High School alumni Category:Women baseball umpires Category:Women's firsts