WPBL 2027: what we know so far
As of October 4, 2026, the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) has not announced a 2027 schedule, venues, expansion teams, tryout dates or a draft date. This page collects what league leaders and reputable outlets have said on the record, with links, and gets updated when something official lands. Unofficial fan guide — not the league.
2027 at a glance
| Question | Status (Oct 4, 2026) | What’s been said |
|---|---|---|
| Will there be a 2027 season? | Expected, not scheduled | Commissioner Justine Siegal told The IX Sports she was “very confident” the league would return next year (The IX Sports, Sep 24, 2026). |
| 2027 schedule | Not announced | Latest official posts are the championship recaps (official WPBL news page). |
| Home cities | Talked about, not confirmed | CEO Keith Stein: “We will be playing in our home cities, I’m pretty sure, next season. So we will be in LA, San Francisco, New York, and Boston in 2027” (Marketplace, Aug 7, 2026). Siegal: the league is “going to do more in the home cities”; on Springfield returning: “Anything’s possible” (The IX Sports, Sep 24, 2026). |
| Expansion | Likely, no cities named | Stein: “we will likely have at least two more expansion teams. So, we will be likely a six-team league next year. It’s possible it could be eight” (Marketplace, Aug 7, 2026). |
| Players / rosters | All free agents | Siegal told The IX Sports players were on one-year contracts and all became free agents at the end of the season; she is counting on “some degree of continuity” (The IX Sports, Sep 24, 2026). |
| Developmental league | Planned for 2027 | Golden Rule Entertainment, which operates Robin Roberts Stadium, will “launch and manage the WPBL Developmental League in 2027” (Sports Business Journal, Nov 17, 2025), based in Springfield (Boston Globe, Nov 17, 2025). |
| Tryouts & draft | Not announced | How the first cycle worked: WPBL tryouts & draft explainer. |
| Spring training | Wanted, complicated | Siegal wants “a proper spring training” but the Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in Illinois, July 19–25, 2027, complicate the calendar (The IX Sports, Sep 24, 2026). World Cup 2027 guide. |
| How to watch in 2027 | No deal announced | In 2026, U.S. games streamed on ESPN platforms (some on Scripps Sports) and were free on YouTube outside the U.S. — see how to watch. Nothing announced for 2027. |
| Player pay in 2027 | Not announced | 2026 pay: how much WPBL players get paid. |
Where the 2027 talk comes from
Home cities. All 40 games of 2026 were played at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois (The IX Sports, Sep 24, 2026). In August, Stein said the plan is to play in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Boston in 2027 (Marketplace, Aug 7, 2026). That is a stated plan, not a published schedule or venue list. We will add venues here only when the league announces them.
Expansion. Stein’s “likely a six-team league… possible it could be eight” is the most specific public statement we found (Marketplace, Aug 7, 2026). No new team names or cities have been announced.
Rosters. Because every 2026 player became a free agent (The IX Sports, Sep 24, 2026), the four 2026 rosters on this site are a record of 2026, not a 2027 depth chart. Browse them on all WPBL players or by team: Los Angeles Queens (2026 champions), San Francisco Firebells, New York Heights, Boston Hunters.
League business. Front Office Sports reported on Sept. 30, 2026 that Stein removed board member Mina Kim — described as the league’s largest investor, who had filed a books-and-records case in Delaware — from the board; Stein’s email to investors also mentioned an audit by a “national accounting firm,” an independent audit committee, and former MLB pitcher and coach Dave Stewart joining the board (Front Office Sports, Sep 30, 2026). FOS also reported Stein said the league raised close to $3.3 million in seed funding. We list this because fans ask whether the league is stable; we don’t add commentary.
How 2026 ended (for reference)
The Los Angeles Queens beat the San Francisco Firebells 2–0 in Game 5 on Sept. 22 to win the first WPBL championship, 3–2 in the series; Ayami Sato threw the league’s first complete game (official championship recap, Sep 22, 2026). Five Queens are USA Baseball Women’s National Team alumnae (USA Baseball, Sep 29, 2026). Full results: 2026 playoffs · final standings · 2026 schedule & results.
Key dates
- 2027 WPBL season: dates not announced.
- 2027 tryouts / draft: not announced. (First draft: Nov. 20, 2025 (official draft details, Nov 3, 2025).)
- July 19–25, 2027: WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals, Rivets Stadium, Loves Park (Rockford area), Illinois (WBSC host announcement).
FAQ
Will there be a WPBL season in 2027?
Expected, but not scheduled. Commissioner Justine Siegal told The IX Sports she was “very confident” the league would return. No 2027 schedule had been announced as of October 4, 2026.
When is the 2027 WPBL schedule released?
Not announced. The official news page’s latest posts as of October 4, 2026 are the 2026 championship recaps.
Where will WPBL teams play in 2027?
Not announced. CEO Keith Stein told Marketplace (Aug. 7, 2026) “We will be playing in our home cities, I’m pretty sure, next season” — Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Boston. Siegal told The IX Sports the league will “do more in the home cities,” and on a Springfield return said “Anything’s possible.”
Is the WPBL expanding in 2027?
Possibly. Stein told Marketplace the league will “likely have at least two more expansion teams… likely a six-team league next year. It’s possible it could be eight.” No expansion cities have been named.
Are WPBL players free agents?
Yes. Siegal told The IX Sports that players signed one-year contracts and all became free agents when the 2026 season ended.
Is there a WPBL developmental league?
Planned. Sports Business Journal and the Boston Globe reported in November 2025 that Golden Rule Entertainment will launch and manage a WPBL developmental league in 2027, based in Springfield, Illinois.
When are WPBL tryouts for 2027?
Not announced. The 2025 tryouts were Aug. 22–25, 2025 in Washington, D.C., and the first draft was Nov. 20, 2025.
Sources (opened Oct 4, 2026): The IX Sports, Sep 24, 2026 · Marketplace, Aug 7, 2026 · Sports Business Journal, Nov 17, 2025 · Boston Globe, Nov 17, 2025 · Front Office Sports, Sep 30, 2026 · official WPBL news page · official championship recap, Sep 22, 2026 · USA Baseball, Sep 29, 2026 · official draft details, Nov 3, 2025 · WBSC host announcement
Offseason guide: WPBL 2027: what we know · Tryouts & draft · Player pay · World Cup 2027 · Players · Teams · 2026 playoffs · 2026 standings
Unofficial fan guide — not the WPBL. Every fact above links to its source; if something changed, the official site wins. About.