Japanese baseball pitcher Ayami Sato has made history by signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs (no, not the NHL team, but for the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) โ an independent pro league based in Ontario), becoming the first woman to play professional baseball in Canada!
MAPLE LEAFS MAKE HISTORY!
The Toronto Maple Leafs are honoured to announce the signing of Ayami Sato, one of the best pitchers in the world, who will make history as the first woman to play professional baseball in Canada!
Sato, a six-time world champion, has pitched for Teamโฆ pic.twitter.com/VxqihKiCdp
โ Toronto Maple Leafs (@IBLMapleLeafs) December 3, 2024
Sato is a six-time world champion, has pitched for Team Japan throughout her career, and is the only woman to win three consecutive MVP awards in 2014, 2016, and 2018, along with two All-Star selections at the Womenโs Baseball World Cup.
Actually a great signing if you’ve seen her pitch you know she has some nasty stuff in her arsenal!
โ Ray Shular (@RayRay107) December 3, 2024
According to the World Baseball Softball Confederation, Sato is widely regarded as the best female pitcher in the world (and perhaps even one of the greatest female players of all time), so her addition to the Leafs is a significant milestone in baseball. Sheโs especially renowned for her skills on the mound, throwing at speeds approaching 80 miles per hour, with curveball spin rates that would put major league players to shame.
โI am so thrilled to have the opportunity to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs,โ Sato said in a statement released by the Leafs. โIt is a dream come true for me to play at this competitive level with former major leaguers and top minor league players.โ
The IBL is the top independent baseball league in Canada, comprising ex-MLB, MiLB, and elite NCAA college baseball players, including players from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Panama, and Japan. ย The 2024-2025 season will mark the IBLโs 106th year in operation!
According to the IBLโs website, itโs one of the longest continuously operated baseball leagues in the world, serving as a valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff.
More than 40 IBL players have advanced to Major League Baseball or returned to the IBL following their MLB careers. In addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the league is composed of teams from Barrie, Brantford, Chatham-Kent, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Toronto and Welland.
This isn’t the only sport that women have been taking over โ the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres have been receiving tons of attention, and Toronto’s new WNBA team, The Toronto Tempo, is set to dominate the court in 2026 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum!
