Sporty Girl News: France's Melissa Mayeux Becomes First Female to Make the MLB International Registration List

We posted this yesterday on our Facebook page, and the news was so exciting that we thought we'd post it again here on the blog. Melissa Mayeux is a 16 year-old shortstop on the French U-18 Junior National Team. Major League Baseball in the USA has added Mayeux to the International Registration List. This doesn't mean that she is going to get signed by an MLB team but only those on the list can be signed.

In the video, Mayeux says that she hopes to continue to play baseball as long as possible staying in France until she's 18 and then looking for a University or other opportunity abroad.

At Sporty Girl Books we are thrilled that the MLB is open to recognizing true baseball talent no matter the gender of the player. We know that Melissa Mayeux, Mo'ne Davis (who just got invited to play with the Harlem Globetrotters for her court skills) and other talented female athletes are eager to be recognized, respected, and signed.

A shout out to Justine Siegal and #baseballforall for helping to encourage and train the next generation of successful baseball players.

From MLB.com

At noon on Sunday afternoon, a 16-year-old French girl made Major League Baseball history.

Melissa Mayeux, a shortstop on the French U-18 junior national team, became the first known female baseball player to be added to MLB's international registration list, which means she will be eligible to be signed by a Major League club on July 2.

International prospects, Mayeux included, are typically added to the international registration list at MLB-sanctioned events after verifying their dates of birth and citizenship; while anyone can technically be added to the list, only those who have the potential to actually be signed are customarily registered.

Is it possible that Mayeux will be signed? Sure. Is it likely? Probably not, but the simple fact that Mayeux has been added to the list solidifies her status as a legitimate player. Mayeux, for her part, just wants to play. She speaks little English and is unaware that her presence on the registry might be seen as newsworthy in the United States.

"Melissa just wants to have to most opportunity she can in baseball," said Boris Rothermundt, a coach with the French national team who has been working with Mayeux since she joined the program two years ago as a member of the U-15 team. "She is not at all thinking about being the first female on the list."

Mayeux, who has been a presence on the international youth scene for a while, is simply focused on keeping her baseball career going.