Over the last few years, women have been breaking into the ranks of professional baseball. Slowly but surely, women are in positions that they were previously unable to achieve.
Five Women Who Broke the Glass Ceiling
Rachel Balkovec
Rachel Balkovec is the most recent woman to break a glass ceiling in baseball. She is the first female manager in the history of Minor or Major League Baseball. She was hired this offseason as the manager of the Low-A Tampa Tarpoons. The Tarpoons play in the New York Yankees Minor Leagues system.
"The first female manager of affiliated baseball at the Major or Minor League Levels. Congratulations, @rachelbalkovec" -Yankees
Genevieve Beacom
If you have not heard of Genevieve Beacom, you are in for a treat. Beacom is the first female female player in Australian Baseball League history. Bacon is 17 years old and pitched one scoreless inning for Melbourne Aces. She throws a curveball, fastball, and changeup and plans on playing college baseball in the states.
Kim NG
Kim Ng is the first female general manager in the history of baseball. Her road to general manager was long, and she has been working in baseball since she was 22 years old.
Ng worked for the Chicago White Sox from 1990 to 1996 before joining the New York Yankees as an assistant general manager in 1998. She worked in New York from 1998 to 2001 before transitioning over to the Los Angeles Dodgers. She was an assistant general manager in Los Angeles from 2002 to 2011. Ng was named the Miami Marlins general manager in 2021.
Alyssa Nakken
Alyssa Nakken is the first full-time female coach on a Major League staff. On April 12, 2022, Nakken became the first woman to serve as a coach in an on-field role. She replaced Antoan Richardson at first base after he was ejected. Nakken is a trailblazer and is only going to continue breaking barriers.
"Alyssa Nakken and Kim Ng, the first female coach and general manager in MLB, chat before Opening Day at Oracle Park" -@NBCSGiants
Rachel Folden
Rachel Folden was hired by the Chicago Cubs in 2019 as the lead hitting lab tech and coach for the Cubs' rookie-level Arizona League. Folden was a professional softball player and played in the National Pro Fastpitch League from 2008 to 2012 and was an assistant softball coach at Valparaiso University from 2009 to2010. Folden provides instruction based on science, biomechanics, data and technology to Cubs hitters.