Women’s sports have experienced significant growth in viewership during the past decade. Whether it be the dominance of the Women’s US National Soccer Team or Caitlin Clark’s rise to stardom, female athletes and women’s sports have shown that they have the staying power to maintain fan viewership. Softball is one of the sports that has experienced explosive growth during this period, with over one million viewers watching the drama unfold at the Women’s College World Series each of the past four years.

Like other women’s sports, softball’s peak prominence with viewers has been at the collegiate level. This is likely due to multiple factors including the removal of softball from summer Olympic competitions in 2012 and the lack of a viable professional league. However, a new professional league is paving the way for a domestic competition featuring the best of the best.

Athletes Unlimited, which was established in 2020, has reimagined women’s professional sports including basketball, softball, volleyball, and lacrosse. The Athletes Unlimited leagues focus on individual player success as opposed to following the traditional team-based format, differentiating itself from other leagues. In the Athletes Unlimited softball league, players accumulate points for personal statistics, single inning wins, and team wins. Each week, the players with the most points draft the teams for the upcoming competitions. The players compete on the individual leaderboard by accumulating points throughout the season. At the end of the season, the player with the highest point total is crowned the league champion. This player-focused approach is a refreshing change in the world of sports.

Seeing the opportunities in the current landscape of women’s sports, Athletes Unlimited has introduced a new format for the 2025 softball season. There will be a 24-game season with a traditional team-based format. This means that athletes will remain on their respective teams, working together to win a championship during this portion of the season. Following the regular season, there will be a four-week AUSL All-Star Cup, which will employ the original player-focused Athletes Unlimited format. The league held its inaugural draft in January 2025, where teams selected from the entire pool of eligible players (including players already participating in AU and recent graduates).

The development of this new league presents many opportunities. First, it will allow players to continue their athletic careers after college. It will also allow fans and members of the media to connect with the sport. Fortunately, it has also enabled me to explore one of sports media’s oldest pastimes- establishing of player comparisons. However, there will be a slight twist, I will be comparing recently drafted AU softball players to their MLB counterparts.

Lexi Kilfoyl: Bandits

Player comparison: Logan Webb

What better place to start than with the first overall pick of the inaugural draft? Success on the softball diamond begins in the pitching circle. Softball pitchers can throw more pitches and play more often than their baseball counterparts. This is because the underhand pitching motion is more natural than the overhand motion used in baseball, causing less stress on the pitcher’s arm. Softball pitchers provide more value than baseball pitchers because they can throw a higher percentage of team innings. Lexi Kilfoyl comes to Athletes Unlimited after a dominant final season at Oklahoma State. She threw 180 and 2/3 innings, finishing with 152 strikeouts, 35 walks, and a 1.20 ERA. She had a successful season with 26 wins and only 5 losses.

She shares many similarities with Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants. Kilfoyl is a workhorse pitcher who always posts as the team’s ace. Logan Webb has been one of the most reliable starters in the MLB, logging over 200 innings in each of the last two seasons. For context, the 200-inning mark is a significant milestone in baseball, indicating a pitcher’s durability and ability to contribute significantly to their team’s success. This milestone has only been reached nine times during that period and Webb is the only player to have achieved this in each of the last 2 seasons. Kilfoyl dominates hitters with an elite drop ball that coerces a high percentage of ground balls. Similarly, Webb uses a combination of his sinker, change-up, and slider, inducing a 58.8% ground ball rate over his six-year career, which is almost 15% higher than the MLB average during this time.

Kilfoyl was drafted by The Bandits who hope to get a workhorse pitcher with the first pick in the draft. The best hitters in the world will be participating in AU league, and having a reliable ace in the circle is essential to team success. If Lexi Kilfoyl can deliver in a reliable fashion similar to Logan Webb throughout his career in San Francisco, The Bandits will have a major building block to contribute to their success.

Skylar Wallace: Bandits

Player Comparison: Corey Seager

Softball teams are built through the middle of the diamond. This is similar to baseball- the catchers, middle infielders, and center fielders see a lot of action, allowing them to display their athleticism. Skylar Wallace is a five-tool player that any team would want in their middle infield. She was the NFCA player of the year in her 2023 campaign at the University of Florida and she followed up that performance with a second-team NFCA All-American selection in 2024. In her final season, Wallace hit for a .404 batting average with 16 home runs and 47 RBI in 69 games. She also walked 47 times and stole 37 bases. Wallace also played gold glove defense at shortstop, a premium position.

Wallace also has a flare for the dramatic in clutch situations. She is an incredible player who elevates her game when playing against elite competition. Her play compares to a sweet-swinging MLB shortstop with postseason accolades. That, of course, would be Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers. Seager has a career OPS of .872, slugging at least 30 home runs in the past three seasons. He also plays an above-average shortstop, adding to his premium position value. He is most known for his playoff performances, garnering two World Series MVPs.

Both Wallace and Seager are elite offensive weapons, with athleticism that translates into added value on the defensive side of the ball. They are reliable top-of-the-lineup bats that are building blocks for their teams’ offenses. More importantly, they are known for delivering in the most high-pressure situations. Wallace could be among the elite players in the Athletes Unlimited League based on her athleticism, power, and ability to perform under pressure.

Montana Fouts: Talons

Player Comparison: Jacob DeGrom

Only one word can describe Montana Fouts’ time in the circle at the University of Alabama- dominant. She was the NCFA pitcher of the year in 2021 and a three-time NCFA All-American. She had 25 wins and 11 losses in her final season at Alabama. She pitched 230 innings with 323 strikeouts, 41 walks, and a 1.49 ERA. Unfortunately, the end of that season was marred by injury. Fouts tore her ACL amid her team’s run to the Women’s College World Series. She has not yet fully recovered from this injury, as evidenced by her 2024 Athletes Unlimited season, during which she pitched 19 and 2/3 innings with a 6.05 ERA. The health concerns surrounding Fouts resulted in her being selected 35^th overall in the ninth round of the Athletes Unlimited draft.

There may be no pitcher in the sport with greater overall ability than Fouts. She put together dominant stretches during her time at Alabama. However, there are lingering health concerns that have fans wondering if she will ever be able to regain that dominant form. The juxtaposition of Fouts’ skill and her health concerns is similar to that of Jacob DeGrom. He is a two-time Cy Young Award winner who has displayed some of the most dominant pitching we have seen this century, with a career 2.52 ERA. He has been widely regarded as the best pitcher in baseball (when he is healthy), but injuries have derailed his promising career. He has not thrown more than 65 innings in the last three seasons. Fouts and DeGrom could still be the best pitchers in their respective sports if they can stay healthy and pitch to their potential.

The professional futures of both players remain uncertain. Fans of both sports would like to see the most dominant pitchers competing against the best hitters. Hopefully, we see these two stars shine and we do not have to wonder what could have been if they stayed healthy. With that said, Fouts could be the steal of the draft if she is able to return to the form she displayed prior to her injury.

Amanda Lorenz: Volts

Player Comparison: Yordan Alvarez

Amanda Lorenz was the 2024 Athletes Unlimited champion, leading the league in hits and batting average. She only trailed Skylar Wallace for points accumulated via statistics among hitters (Lorenz trailed Wallace in stat points but edged her out in both win points and MVP voting points). Lorenz is arguably the best hitter in the softball world, setting program records for batting average and on base percentage, and garnering 3 NFCA First Team All-American awards during her career at The University of Florida. She has middle-of-the-order power from the left side and can hit for both average and power. She can play the outfield but is better known for her offensive prowess.

Lorenz’s MLB comparison is a bat-first, left-handed MLB player, considered one of the most feared players to face in the batter’s box. Yordan Alvarez is comparable to Lorenz as one of the best hitters in baseball. He has a career .298 batting average with a .973 OPS and 166 OPS+. Alvarez has ranked fourth, fourth, and seventh in batter run value in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons, respectively. Simply put, he is consistently one of the top ten hitters in the MLB, and he hits for both average and power.

It takes a special kind of hitter to be considered one of the most valuable players in the league without playing a premium position. Yordan Alvarez is a cornerstone player on a perennially competitive team (The Houston Astros) as a designated hitter. Amanda Lorenz was the first position player selected in the 2025 draft (seventh overall). Her offensive ability is so valuable to a team’s lineup that she was picked before other offensive players who play premium defensive positions. She’s proven herself throughout her collegiate and professional careers and her success will likely translate to the new league.

Maya Brady: Talons

Player Comparisons: Vladamir Guerrero Jr.

Maya Brady was one of the most exciting college players in the country during her career at UCLA. She was a three-time NCFA All-American and ranked second in program history in home runs (71), RBI (246), total bases (550), and slugging percentage (.757). Brady played shortstop for the Bruins, however, she is also able to play other positions. She had one of the most decorated college careers in recent history and she is looking to make a mark in the professional softball world.

One thing that stands out is Brady’s bloodlines (yes, she comes from that Brady family). Her mom is Maureen Brady, Tom Brady’s oldest sister, who played softball at Fresno State. Maureen’s younger sister married three-time all-star and “Greek God of Walks”, Kevin Youkilis. Maya Brady proved herself to be one of the best players at the collegiate level. It remains to be seen if she is able to live up to the family name and the successes of her two uncles.

Unlike the previous player comparisons, this one is not based on playing styles. Instead, it is based on the ability to live up to the expectations that come along with having relatives who are elite athletes. The best example of this in the MLB today is Vladamir Guerrero Jr., whose father is a hall of famer, a nine-time all-star, and the 2004 American League MVP. His father’s career is a near-impossible standard for a family member to live up to. However, Vladdy Jr. has held his own when compared to his father. His father’s career OPS of .931 outpaces his career OPS of .863. However, Guerrero Senior’s career OPS+ of 140 only outpaces Junior’s OPS+ of 137 by three points. Per the glossary on the MLB’s website, OPS+ is a player’s on-base plus slugging percentage, normalized across the entire league. It accounts for external factors like ballparks. The value is adjusted, with a score of 100 being the league average, and 150 being 50 percent better than the league average. So, compared to the league average, Junior is within 3% of his father’s hall-of-fame career numbers through his first six seasons.

Maya Brady has the skill set to be one of the elite players in the league. She has displayed her ability to perform against elite competition and she shined in big moments during her collegiate career. Having the greatest football player of all time and an all-star caliber MLB player in her family will be beneficial for her. Her relatives will be able to help her adjust to becoming a professional athlete. Similarly, Vladamir Junior’s father helped him to become one of the best players in baseball. It will be interesting to see how the Talons utilize Brady in the field, given that she is listed as a utility player. She is a great athlete who will likely be able to play any position on the diamond, and her bat will play no matter where she ends up defensively.