San Francisco Selects Ex-Staten Island FerryHawks’ Kelsie Whitmore as Inaugural No. 1 WPBL Draft Pick

In a historic move, former Staten Island FerryHawks’ Kelsie Whitmore has been selected No.1 overall pick by San Francisco in the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League’s (WPBL) Draft, today the team announced via X.

Whitmore is making a habit of being a history-maker ball player, as she was the first woman to take the field for an MLB Partner League when she inked a contract with Staten Island in 2022.

The pitcher/outfielder also suited up for the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer Baseball League (PBL) and the Savannah Bananas of the Banana Ball League (BBL).

Additionally, Whitmore starred on Cal State Fullerton’s softball team, batting .395 with 12 longballs in 52 games, capturing the 2021 Big West Player of the Year award in the process.

Plus, she helped TEAM USA capture gold at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto and again in 2019 at the Confederacion de Beisbol Panamericana (COPABE ) Women’s Pan-American Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

The WPBL will commence action in August of 2026, right after the World Cup, which will take place from July 22nd-27th at Rivets Stadium in Loves Park in Illinois.

The WPBL is the first American pro women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which ran from 1943 to 1954. 

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Photo: Staten Island FerryHawks’ X.