There has yet to be a female who has played in affiliated ball stateside. While the All American Girls Baseball League flourished in the 1940s, and the likes of Ila Borders and Eri Yoshida have made history, females have not played in affiliated ball. That may change soon with Genevieve Beacom.
Beacom has already made history. She became the first female to appear in a game in the Australian Baseball League when she fired a scoreless inning in her debut.
This is the best thing you will see today. 2023 LHP Genevieve Beacom creates history by making her debut for the Melbourne Aces. The 17 year-old becomes the first female to pitch for a professional team by throwing a scoreless inning with a good FB/CB mix. Remember the name 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/2GzJ6P8WAK
— Andrew Riddell (@andrewriddell26) January 8, 2022
Genevieve Beacom makes history in Australian Baseball League
It may be a bit of time until Beacom has an opportunity to come stateside. She is just 17 years old and will not graduate high school until 2023. Nonetheless, she will be someone to watch as she looks to follow Melissa Mayeux as the second female to be included on the MLB international registration list, making her eligible to be signed.
Beacom may have a chance at becoming the first female to sign with a major league organization as a player. Being left handed certainly helps with an eye towards a relief role. She also has a fastball that sits in the 80 to 84 MPH range, an excellent curve, and a changeup. Her mechanics are solid and repeatable, while working with former major leaguer Peter Moylan will only help.
At 17 years old, it is possible that she can add a few ticks of velocity as well. That may be the key – even lefty specialists these days are firing fastballs in the mid 90s. The day of that low 80s reliever is over.
But it is fun to dream. It is easy to imagine that she adds a bit more velocity as she matures, reaching in the upper 80s. If she can get there, or adds more and reaches the low 90s, a major league team could come calling.
Genevieve Beacom made history by being the first female to play in the Australian Baseball League. Maybe she will be the first to play in affiliated ball.