MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 9, 2025

Kim Ng

Sierra Romero

Montana Fouts

Sharlize Palacios

Harold Reynolds

AUSL Press Conference

Press Conference

HAROLD REYNOLDS: We're here for the AUSL press conference. I don't want to call it the press conference, but it is the press conference. If you weren't following the AUSL we have to bring up to speed.

I'm Harold Reynolds, from MLB Network. We have an amazing panel. Let me introduce the star players and then I'll finish the introductions with the commissioner, Kim Ng, with the AUSL.

Starting with the players, Montana Fouts, from the University of Alabama. She's the Talons' top pitcher that actually won the championship this year. We'll give her a hand for that.

(Applause)

And they actually won that at home playing at the University of Alabama was the host site this year. She was a 2023 Honda Sports Award for the top female athlete in the country. That's pretty cool, including all sports. Four-time All-American, Montana Fouts, ladies and gentlemen.

(Applause)

In the middle, one of my dear friends. Sharlize Palacios attended UCLA. She's a four-time All- Pac-12 selection, All-American herself, and she was a catcher on the championship team this year, the Talons. Congratulations, Sharlize Palacios.

And to her left, Sierra Romero, infielder with the Volts. We'll dive into that a little bit later, talking about how the league expanded and the challenges ahead.

She went to University of Michigan. And she too in 2016 was Honda Sports Award top female college athlete in the country. That includes all the sports. That is really a prestigious award. Congratulations on that.

Three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, not just all-league, three-time Big Ten Player of the Year and a three-time All-American.

So those are our athletes. Let's give them a hand. We'll dive into their comments in a minute.

(Applause)

To their far left is the commissioner of the AUSL, Miss Kim Ng. Kim started in Major League Baseball. Moved through. She was general manager for the Miami Marlins. And now she's the commissioner of this prestigious and proud league.

Kim, we'll start with you. Last year, 2025 is the inaugural season. Kind of how it started and what you were kind of expecting and how this turned out to be really fantastic.

KIM NG: I guess I can first say that, right off the bat, the season started off and ended up completely beyond our expectations, completely exceeded our expectations. Quite frankly, we didn't know exactly what to expect. We knew that there's a very long history of pro softball, but we have never seen a league anything like this before.

In terms of the College World Series, we're coming off historic numbers in terms of viewership there. Nija Canady, doing what she did, bringing that team to the World Series. And then rolling right into our announcement that MLB was a strategic investor. So there really was this incredible momentum leading into our season.

So you go through the season, you can talk about the 24 sellouts, you can talk about the over a million dollars in merchandise that we sold, you can talk about the, I think it's an average of almost 350,000 viewers that we got for our championship series, 90 percent stadium capacity across the board all season long. And then our close to quarter of a million -- I'm sorry -- quarter of a billion social media impressions over the course of the season.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: That's B in a billion, quarter of a billion impressions. Wow.

KIM NG: That's some of the numbers and the data that we collected over the season. But to have all of that as evidence of the success of the season has just been, quite frankly, mindboggling for a first-year, young league to post numbers like that.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: You just expanded, you had an expansion draft, added two more teams. I'll have you talk on that. And the partnership was renewed with ESPN. They're going to carry more games as well. Dive into those two, and then I'll go to the players.

KIM NG: Absolutely. So I think all of those indices clearly, I think, were eye-opening to a lot of folks, particularly ESPN, who we signed a three-year deal with.

Each season of the three-year deal, we'll have 50 of our games on ESPN. We've seen a lot of their scheduled games that they're picking up and the platforms that we're going to be on. So many E2 and E1 games. Really exciting there.

And last Monday, we had our expansion and allocation drafts. We had an independent team, the Oklahoma City Spark, join us, as well as we named a sixth team, the Cascade. All six teams will be anchored to markets. We hope that announcement will come in January. But with the addition of the Spark and their players, we now have all but one player on this summer's National Team now with AUSL.

So in terms of the caliber of the talent, of course these women to my right, but the caliber of the talent is the best in the world. So we're really excited as we lead up to 2028, where the Olympics will be back in the U.S., and we'll have softball in the Olympics. So we're looking for these athletes to bring home gold.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Maya Brady, if you did not know, she was the No. 1 pick in the expansion draft, former teammate with Sharlize here.

Sharlize, when you hear the numbers rattled off and number of people watching and how the sport is growing, how does that make you feel playing four years of college and on into this?

SHARLIZE PALACIOS: Definitely it's been a dream to have Kim just kind of back us and have that inspiring woman lead us. And I think that my experience going through college, I knew I wanted to play professional softball because my sister was playing in AU prior to it becoming AUSL.

That was the only dream I had. I just wanted to play with my sister. And it was, like, where do we go from here? I think it is so special now to feel so secure in what I'm doing. I'm a professional softball player. I trained every single day for that dream --

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Say that again. You're a professional what?

SHARLIZE PALACIOS: Professional softball player, that's my job occupation. So being able to confidently say that and know that I'm secure and that this league is going to continue to go upward, I think that's so amazing, not just for the people in the league but for the generations to come. It's so great for them to have that visibility in us and be able to strive to be where we are.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: That's pretty cool.

And, Sierra, I would say you were one that paved the way to make this happen too with looking back when you started playing in college and now you're still playing ball. That's got to make you feel pretty good. Did you ever think there was going to be a day when there was a pro league?

SIERRA ROMERO: I knew it would happen. I didn't know if I would still be playing when it happened. I'm just really lucky and blessed that I got to experience it.

I contemplated retiring earlier on, but once the AUSL was announced and I saw who was in it and who was involved, I was, like, I have to be a part of it, I have to experience it. So I need to make sure I'm good to go to be able to play and see what professional's like when it's done the right way.

That's the big thing that it's done the right way, and we're getting backed and we're getting everything that we need and I just can't wait to see where it ends up.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Her sister, Sydney, also plays. They have a younger brother, Mikey Romero, who is in the Red Sox organization. It's quite a productive family playing this sport. It's pretty cool stuff.

Montana, playing at home for the championship in the pro league, that's not fair. I thought that was not fair. You were used to the mound. You dominated hitters. How did that make you feel, playing at home at the University of Alabama in your first season.

MONTANA FOUTS: It was surreal, honestly, just being able to be there with my new family just because I'm super blessed that my college did feel like that for me. So, of course, they were all watching anywhere from field crew to head coach Patrick Murphy was there.

And now I'm getting to play on the same field with the Talons that have become my new family like I said. Just being able to do that and go on to win the whole thing there was really surreal.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: When you know the name of the field crew guy, Patrick Murphy, that means it's home game for you. That's pretty special stuff.

Sharlize, you were in that game as well. When you look back I remember it was a series, not just one game, it's a series. How cool was that? And did you understand the importance of that series that you guys were playing?

SHARLIZE PALACIOS: I think we understood the importance because of the fan turnout. The fans just bought in to coming to that game. I think we also had a lot riding on it. It was the first inaugural season for the AUSL.

And I think coming from the head of our organization, the GM, Lisa Fernandez, she made it known from the day that we stepped into that locker room that we were going to win, that we were going to win that season.

I think we all had that as a goal. And like Montana said, there's that feel that you got in college that you weren't really able to replicate in a professional league until now. I think that once we had that feel, that family that we created, that bond, that's when we really wanted to win it. And I feel like that's replicated a lot in the MLB because you have a lot of that familiarity with one another with the teams.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Sierra, you've had so much international experience as well. So I want to ask you how the talent in this league stacks up to what you've seen globally?

SIERRA ROMERO: I mean, these are the best of the best. If you want to compete and you want to compete at a high level and you want to test your talent to get better, then it's going to be the AUSL league. And it's going to be playing in it consistently to compete against the best and adding the Spark to the AUSL. It only advances us more because those are good athletes and they know we're pretty dang good at what we do too. It's going to be fun to battle it out because this is where the best play.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Kim, finding the players where they're playing at, different locations, can you explain, you started off kind of in Chicago and expanded since then, where people can see them play, what are going to be home field, what's the tour like?

KIM NG: In 2025, we had four teams that played in 12 different markets across the country. We barn-stormed across the country.

In '26, we're going to six teams, like I mentioned, and we will anchor those teams down into cities. But you're going to have to stay tuned, Harold, for January when we announce where those cities are.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Montana, playing in the inaugural season, that was your first pro season as it was as well, what were the expectations? And what do you feel like you learned playing against the top women in the world?

MONTANA FOUTS: I really didn't know what to expect, honestly. I knew that everybody was really good because I've had the opportunity to play against a lot of them. But I've never had the chance to play against some of the people that have been in the league a little bit longer. So, I didn't know how that was going to play out.

But really has just exceeded all expectations. Like you truly feel like a pro, feel like every setting we went in we were excited to be there, the fans were excited. And it was just a great opportunity overall.

But then honestly, like Sierra said, you're playing against the best of the best. I mean, you're going to have to show up and elevate every time that you go out there. So just knowing that and being competitive and having that challenge, I think, is great for us as motivation, but then also for the next generation to come.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: And you came in with this target on your back. You were Montana Fouts striking everybody out, throwing 70 miles an hour and things like that. What was it like when somebody hit you and you were, like, hold on, time out, they're on my stuff? Because I'm sure that didn't happen in college that consistently like maybe in the pro league -- or did that even happen; I could be totally wrong.

MONTANA FOUTS: Yeah, it happened probably a few times, but you have to be resilient and you have that championship mindset of, so what, now what are we going to do about it? And I feel like everybody in the league has to have that a little bit because you're going to get knocked down with the talent that is there. But the best just keep on truckin'.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: I think just like pro ball, as you go from A ball to Double-A to Triple-A to Major Leagues, it's the speed of the game. I have a daughter who plays high school ball. And it's watching college and now watching the pro league, it's the speed of the game and how fast that was.

So I'll ask Sharlize first, how long did it take you to adjust to, man, you're a catcher and you're trying to throw out some of the fastest people in the game and the bat speed and everything else, what was that like?

SHARLIZE PALACIOS: Yeah, the transition from college to pro league, it's another notch, like you said. It's just like the MLB, how you're continuing to get better and better until you get to the pros. That's how it is here.

A lot of the best in college, even including myself, I had a really good senior league and I was feeling on top of the world. And I go to the pro league, and I'm just a rookie and here we are. You have to re-learn the game again. You have to learn who you're dealing with.

And I was very fortunate that I had a lot of the veterans that took me. I had my sister there. I felt super comfortable. So, it wasn't a huge transition that I needed to the pro league. I was very fortunate.

Now being able to be with the staff I had, the team I had, I didn't feel like I missed a step. But you definitely have to train like you're a professional athlete. I would say that's the portion that gets overlooked at times. There's a lot of training that goes into it that we do on our own that we have to really hone in on and take pride in.

In the college game, you have a team and you're forced to go to weights and practice all the time. Now it's really just coming from you and your love for the game and how good you really want to be.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: And the other things, I know you all go back to your colleges and you're helping coach and things like that. Sierra, your sister is at the University of Oregon. I met Erin Coffel this weekend. She's at Florida. Coaching and passing it on is so vital to any sport, but I see it even -- it's almost like a community. We're going to pass on our skill, not being worried about somebody might take my job. Tell me where that mindset comes from and how important that's been to advancing softball.

SIERRA ROMERO: I think we have to have it if we want to see the game grow. I think us women are all on the same page that we want to see this thing get bigger and bigger and we want to see million dollar contracts and we want to see all the big things happening for everyone. And we know that only happens with us sharing what we've learned -- me sharing the experiences I went through so we don't ever go backwards, me sharing the positive experience so we continue to move forward, but me also sharing how I've negotiated certain contracts, so then that way athletes can continue to get what they deserve and go for different sponsorships and stuff like that. I think that's the only way we continue to grow is if we help each other out.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: We have a million-dollar pitcher in college. And the money's starting to grow in the college ranks and you're starting to build here.

Kim, I want to ask you, as you see this thing building, how important has the foundation, the formation of the league, helping build this thing and then passing it through?

KIM NG: Harold, I want to step back for one second. Just so people understand the context of throwing a 70-mile-an-hour fastball, that's like in the low 100s or upper 90s. So you have like Nija Canady throwing what she's throwing, and Karlyn Pickens throwing 79 miles an hour, that's like 112 miles per hour.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: From 46 feet.

SIERRA ROMERO: Yes, exactly.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Montana, what's the fastest you've been clocked?

MONTANA FOUTS: I would say while I was in school probably 74, 75.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: We're looking at 74, 75 is like 107, 106, something like that, if you want to put it in baseball terms.

KIM NG: So people understand --

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Pretty much you're blinking at the plate -- and then they drop this nasty change-up on you. I don't know how they hit. I really don't. I was trying to figure that out. It's pretty impressive stuff.

KIM NG: But going back to your question, in terms of building the foundation, I mean that's really what we're trying to do here for the next several years. We think we've got a great start.

The athletes, we've had some fairly, I think, candid and frank discussions about it's really going to take a village and it's going to take all of them chipping in to amplify and to be amplified and elevated to the point where people in the mainstream know about what is going on.

Women sports right now is just at the pinnacle and it's been unbelievable to watch for the last several years.

Caitlin Clark drawing a viewership of 19 million for that championship game, I mean, it's just incredible. So, to know that these athletes are very similar in their own respect, in their own rights, and leaving it out on the field every day. I mean, that's clearly what AU is bringing to the table and trying to build for the future.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: The sport is exploding. We're getting ready to see it go to another level with the Olympics in '28.

For me, I go back to Spring Training in Arizona. We're playing in Tucson, and we're playing the Indians. That's how long ago it was. We go down there, it's a two-day trip. The first night all the guys, what are we going to do in Tucson? And somebody said, well, there's a softball game at University of Arizona. We're like, let's go check it out.

So our whole team is sitting there, and we were blown away. We walked away going, how do they catch the ball from that close. You can't bobble a ball. The ball's thrown by you. It is an amazing sport. I've been in love with softball ever since then.

With that, we will open it up for questions.

Q. Kim, I know that now that we have a tangible league where girls that play softball as young kids can grow up to be a professional player -- when we were growing up we loved baseball but we couldn't grow up to be a professional baseball player. I know you touched on it a little bit, but just how meaningful that is that an 11-year-old can actually see this tangibly and kind of strive for that?

KIM NG: I think you don't really understand the power of it until you have people coming up to you in stadiums and crying and explaining their feelings to you that they've been waiting for years and years to see something like this.

I mean, that in and of itself has been powerful, these young girls and young women who are basically expressing that as well.

There's a story that we talk about. Little League World Series in North Carolina, they do a survey or they do a questionnaire of all of the incoming athletes. And so these are the little ones, 12 and younger, from all over the world.

So one of the questions was, what do you want to be when you grow up? And this little girl from Czech Republic said, "I want to play for the AUSL." So you have no idea what a profound impact a league like this has until you hear those. And obviously just anecdotal stories. But until you hear the type of impact and people are expressing it to you on an everyday basis, as you walk the concourse.

SIERRA ROMERO: I mean, for me, for example, I thought I was going to go to college and then my career was going to be over. It wasn't like I was thinking, this is what's going to happen next, I'm going to play pro softball. For me, I thought it was going to be very much stepping into whatever career I was going to do after graduating from Michigan.

So here I am, I think this is my 10th year playing pro, and, I mean, it's just amazing to see where we are. Now when I talk to little girls and I'm talking to parents, it's just nice for them to be able to see us. And now that we're visible, it's like they know it's there. But not only that, we have the atmosphere for it, too. Now they go to the games and it's super fun, it's super exciting.

I think about Round Rock, when we were in Texas, and the fans were having so much fun. Like, it was rowdy. It was just super high energy. And to me, it's like that's what we want.

I felt like I hadn't experienced that since when I played in the World Series playing in college, playing for my college team, and I got to feel that again as a professional softball player.

It's cool to know that the sport is in good hands and that these girls are going to be able to play, they're going to be able to support themselves and live out their dream.

SHARLIZE PALACIOS: I completely agree with both of them. I think that it's easy for us to like love the sport that we play. We love what we do. It's not even a job for us, really. We just really love to train and give everything that we have. But I think we've all taken on this passion of being able to push the game forward.

We've had so many people in front of us do it for us, the trailblazers. We have to do that for the girls in the next generation as well. The youth is really watching. It's so special to be able to see them get so excited about the AUSL. They came up to me and they were, like, you're protected, you get to stay with the Talons. That's just something that assures you that they're watching, that they're seeing every little move you make. They're seeing you train and what you say to them and to the parents.

So it's very important that little girls are able to dream bigger than just college. It goes beyond that. And that's such a beautiful thing. I didn't think I would be a part of it, but I'm so grateful and blessed that I am.

MONTANA FOUTS: And I would say some of the best advice I've ever been given was in school, it was the sooner you realize it's not about you, the better off you're going to be.

I feel like kind of, to Kim's point, we're working so hard because we want our team to win and we want to be the best we can on the field, but then after the game, when you just look out and they're all just wearing your T-shirt, whatever pro team that they're cheering for, that's what I'm talking about. Being able to put in that work, not just for us to get better and for our team, but for them to have that role model to look up to and know that we're playing in Tuscaloosa at home, but it's not Alabama that they're wearing, it's like a sea of agree and Talons. And I think that's so special, in such a short amount of time, that we can have this reach that we have to where a seven-year-old can write, "I want to be a professional softball player." And play in the AUSL. I think that's a dream come true.

KIM NG: One other thing, I use this example. If 20 years ago Jennie Finch had the platform that Derek Jeter had, I mean, can you imagine how big this sport would be now, right? It's just sort of amazing when you think about it in those terms.

Where we are now, it's fine, we're year one. But I think we can thank the WNBA and the NWSL, who we're clearly drafting off of. But, really, the time is now. So we're just seeing great momentum.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Social media, the impact that you guys have and the reach you have now than ever before, I think that's got to play a big role. Kim, you touched on the impressions of it. I want to ask each of you about your accounts, how important it is, and your understanding of your reach.

MONTANA FOUTS: I think it's fun. I think it's a great way for the girls and families to really follow along. I feel like they don't just see what they see on TV. Like, you can share all parts of your story with them.

I feel like there's times that I'll share some mental toughness things or maybe some things I've been through that you don't get to see when you turn on ESPN. I feel like seeing in the comments people that are relating or maybe get some help from that, I think, is part of what Sierra was saying where we were just needing to help each other, and that's how we're going to get this to propel forward. I feel it's a good opportunity for everybody to help each other.

SHARLIZE PALACIOS: And I'll add to that, just saying that I think it's a way to propel the league forward, but also for the young kids to also find their favorite athletes and get to know you. I feel like that's what I really try to do is try to show my personality through my social media and show a big part of my family, a big part of my school that I went to.

I just try to show the authentic part of myself so they can buy into what you're doing, and also they're always on their phone. I mean, who is not always on their phone, looking at things? It's a very quick way to access them. Quickly, if I post that I'm playing at this time on this network, they're going to tune in. I feel like it has such great reach, that we don't even understand at times. At times it's just a post that goes out and you don't even know who's viewing it, but there's a lot of young girls that say I watched your game, slide up, and they say you did great and you're hitting people beyond the field you're at, beyond the stands. And you have eyes on you at all times.

I remember walking around in Westwood and having the UCLA softball shirt. People recognized you. You always have to have it on, have that type of just thought process that people are watching you and you're doing it for them but also be able to share yourself in that.

SIERRA ROMERO: I think we're in a really special moment with softball because we're at the beginning of AUSL. And right now, these little girls, these fans who go on our social media, you do feel you have access to us in a way. And you do because we are trying to grow the sport. So I'm responding to some messages and the responses are "I can't believe you're messaging me back," because that probably wouldn't happen with some of the bigger MLB guys. Probably wouldn't happen with someone trying to talk to my brother. He posts like once every year.

It's just different. We're a little more into the social media. We have fun with it. I feel that's how we share our story and our journey. I think it's a little more intimate with us and the fans at this point. I think it's a cool time to be following us on social media because we're trying to share our experience and what our training is like, and I just feel like we also want to have that relationship with our fans, too, because we know how important it is to have them in order for us to grow.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: I think you all get it. You understand you're new and you're all diving in to make this happen. I think that's so important.

Kim, how important is that what you've seen over the last year? Are you a little surprised when you get a billion impressions but these women have helped push that through?

KIM NG: I'm shocked. I go back in history a bit to the other pro leagues, softball leagues, and social media did not exist at that time. And so it was some of these measurables that we have now, you just couldn't get your arms around it and you couldn't show sponsors and you couldn't figure out ways to actually bring revenue in based on the huge engagement that we now have.

So I'll give you an example of our draft last Monday. Our great social team, who led the way, but also gave assets -- that's the right word, right? Just checking -- who gave assets to the athletes to help them post all of these items on social prior to the draft.

So it really got -- we talk about the fans out there, but all of their former colleges, all of their friends throughout the community, and just so much engagement prior, leading up to the draft, that then drives the numbers to the draft. And then ESPN sees it.

So it just continues to create momentum and really help us in propelling this thing forward.

Q. Pro softball has never had as many eyes on it as it does right now, but there is so much more for it to go with bringing fans in and introducing people to the sport. What would you say to fans that are coming in? What can they expect this summer, and why should they be a fan of the Volts or the Talons?

SIERRA ROMERO: The Volts are going to win, so that's why you should watch us. We're making a comeback from next year. Relax. Just kidding.

I definitely think the big thing is you're going to see a bunch of women who take a lot of pride in what they do, and we want to see this grow.

With that, to fire us up, we also are very competitive, and we're perfectionists and we want to win and be great at what we do. So you're going to see a bunch of women that take pride in what they do, but also at the same time you're going to see a fast game. There's a lot of action, strong, strong women, people throwing the ball 70-plus. Her throwing people out -- I won't be stealing, so you don't have to worry about that. But then you're going to see great plays on defense. You're going to see just really good softball.

SHARLIZE PALACIOS: I would say exactly that. You're going to see what you see in MLB in softball form. You're going to see that fun fast pace, professional feel crisp. I'd like to say, it's like a lot of synergy, just crisp energy. It's to a level that a lot of people are impressed by it. We just went to an event. We had a pitcher throw in the middle of a hallway, it was like a banquet room, and just hearing the pop of the ball, so many people turned their heads and were like, wow, they were so impressed by it just because you don't get that magnitude over the screen. But being able to be out there and being so close to it, at such a close touch point, that's when people realize this is such a fast-paced game. There's decisions made in under three seconds in our game. The base paths are so close that everything has to be so fast; whereas, in baseball, everything is a little more expanded.

That's something that's so special about our sport. And I think just for our league, the Talons are going to win it. We're going to go for a two-peat. So I think everyone is waiting for that.

MONTANA FOUTS: And I would agree with all of that. And like Sierra said, I feel like we can talk all day long about how much love and stuff goes into this, but I think you're just going to see some really gritty, resilient competitiveness.

I mean, like they're talking about like when we're training, we genuinely love the hard stuff that comes with this. So I think just getting out there and competing and just having a true connection with everybody that's there, too. So we'll be competing for two hours and then right after the game we're going to be best friends with whoever comes in the autograph line.

You get best of both worlds when you come. And root for the Talons.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Kim, I'll let you wrap it up with the season. When does it start? When will we see you? Give us a little bit of a calendar, then I'll have a closing moment and we're out.

KIM NG: Season starts June 9th. That's our opening day. And we'll go until July 27th, which will be game three of our championship series, if it needs to go that far.

We also have our All-Star Cup competition, which occurs over four weekends in August, August 7th to August 30th, and so I hope that you all come out.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Thank you so much. Congratulations. It's awesome what's happening. I remember when I was in high school, I'm taking you back, but the NBA was on tape delay. I remember turning it on at midnight to watch the NBA on tape delay, like where they're at now. This is where we're headed with softball. So I'm excited to be able to be here.

I'm glad everybody's listening. Congratulations to these women. They deserve applause. We need to keep pushing this forward and keep getting it out there. Thank you. We'll talk to you soon. Appreciate it. Good job, ladies.

(Applause)