Kelsie Whitmore, Mo'ne Davis among legends selected in first ever Women's Professional Baseball League draft

College Baseball and U.S. National Team star Kelsie Whitmore and Little League World Series icon Mo'ne Davis were among the players selected in the first-ever draft for the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL).

Whitmore was selected first overall by San Francisco, while Los Angeles selected Davis with the tenth overall pick.

Whitmore, who currently plays with the Savannah Bananas, was the first woman to appear in the starting lineup in an Atlantic League, having achieved the feat while playing for the Staten Island FerryHawks.

She has also played for the Sonoma Stompers of the Pacific Association, and the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League.

Additionally, Whitmore was a standout at Cal State Fullerton and played on the US National Team for five years, where she had a 1.35 ERA as a pitcher.

Davis meanwhile, received national and international attention at 13 years of age, when she became the first girl to earn a win and throw a shutout in the Little League World Series.

With a fastball reaching the low 70s, Davis became an overnight celebrity, receiving requests for Late Night Talk Shows and congratulatory messages from Mike Trout, Marcus Stroman and Kevin Durant, among others.

The WPBL, which was founded in 2024, is expected to begin play in 2026. While there are four teams from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Boston, all games are expected to held in Illinois, at Robin Roberts Stadium in Illinois.

Other players selected include Japanese legend Ayami Sato, who was the 2nd overall pick and will also pitch for Los Angeles.

New York chose U.S. infielder Kylee Lahners with the third overall pick, while South Korean catcher Hyeonah Kim went to Boston as the fourth overall selection.

The inaugural season begins on August 1st.