Banana Ball to WPBL: Which Banana Ball Women Are Joining the Women’s Pro Baseball League?
The Banana Ball-to-WPBL crossover is one of the most interesting early storylines around the Women’s Pro Baseball League.
This is not just about one familiar name. Several women connected to Banana Ball are also tied to the WPBL’s first season, creating a natural bridge between a fan-first baseball show and a new professional women’s baseball league.
Banana Ball and the WPBL are very different. Banana Ball is built around entertainment, personality and crowd connection. The WPBL is a professional women’s baseball league with teams, rosters, standings and a competitive season.
But the overlap matters because Banana Ball fans already know some of these players. That visibility could help bring new eyes to the WPBL when the league begins.
Table of Contents
Quick Crossover Table
| Player | Banana Ball team/role | WPBL team/status | Why she matters |
| Ashton Lansdell | Party Animals | Los Angeles Queens | One of the clearest Banana Ball-to-WPBL crossover names, with Team USA experience and a public role in promoting the league |
| Denae Benites | Banana Ball player | WPBL-connected player | Represents the two-world path of Banana Ball visibility and women’s professional baseball opportunity |
| Kelsie Whitmore | Banana Ball-connected name | WPBL-connected player | One of the most recognizable women’s baseball names connected to the WPBL conversation |
| Val Perez | Firefighters connection | WPBL-connected player | Adds depth to the crossover and shows how women baseball players have helped open doors for one another |
| Megan Wiggins | Tailgator connection | Different path | A Banana Ball woman whose background is more closely tied to softball, so her connection should be viewed differently |
Why the Banana Ball and WPBL Crossover Matters
The main reason this story matters is visibility.
The WPBL is a new league. Before it has long rivalries, historic standings or years of highlights, it needs fans to learn player names and understand why the league matters. Banana Ball can help with that because it already puts players in front of large, engaged crowds.
When fans see women playing baseball in Banana Ball, those players become more than names on a roster. Fans see their personalities. They see how they interact with people. They see them as part of the show.
For WPBL-bound players, that gives the league a head start. A fan who first notices a player in Banana Ball may later follow her into the WPBL.
That is the real crossover story. It is not a guarantee that any player will dominate the league. It is a connection between visibility, fan interest and women’s baseball.
Ashton Lansdell: Party Animals to Los Angeles Queens
Ashton Lansdell is one of the clearest examples of the Banana Ball-to-WPBL link.
She is connected to the Party Animals in Banana Ball and was drafted by Los Angeles Queens in the WPBL. She also brings Team USA experience, which gives her background more weight than just being a familiar face from Banana Ball.
Ashton’s role matters because she can help carry attention from one baseball audience to another. Banana Ball fans who already know her have a clear reason to pay attention to Los Angeles Queens and the WPBL.
That does not mean her WPBL season should be overhyped before it begins. It simply means she is one of the players who makes the crossover easy for fans to understand.
Denae Benites and the Two-World Baseball Path
Denae Benites is another important name in this crossover.
Her story connects Banana Ball, Team USA and the WPBL. That makes her a strong example of the kind of player who has stayed active in different baseball environments before getting a bigger professional women’s baseball platform.
Denae also represents why Banana Ball visibility can matter. Fans who see women playing baseball in a loud, public setting may become more curious about where those players are headed next.
For Denae, the WPBL is part of that next step.
Her value in this article is not as a prediction. It is as part of the wider player bridge between Banana Ball and professional women’s baseball.
Kelsie Whitmore Adds Name Recognition
Kelsie Whitmore is already one of the most recognizable names around women’s baseball.
Her connection to the WPBL gives the league credibility and public interest. When a known women’s baseball name is part of the same broader conversation as Banana Ball and the WPBL, it adds more weight to the crossover.
For fans who are just learning about the league, names like Kelsie help make the WPBL feel more real. They show that the league is not starting from zero. It is bringing in players who already have history, experience and recognition in the women’s baseball world.
Val Perez and the Player Network Behind the Crossover
Val Perez is another important part of the Banana Ball and WPBL overlap.
Her connection matters because this crossover is not only about leagues. It is also about the network of women baseball players who know one another, support one another and help create opportunities.
Women’s baseball pathways have often been limited, so personal connections can carry real weight. Players who have stayed in the sport know who can play. They know who has the personality, toughness and love for the game.
Val’s presence in the crossover helps show that this is not just a marketing story. It is part of a wider women’s baseball community.
Megan Wiggins and the Different Softball Path
Megan Wiggins should be mentioned carefully.
She is connected to Banana Ball, but her path is different from the players moving into the WPBL conversation. Her background is more closely tied to softball, which makes her situation different from baseball-first players entering a professional women’s baseball league.
That distinction matters.
Softball is not a lesser sport. It is a separate sport with its own athletes, history and professional opportunities. The WPBL matters because it gives women who want to play baseball a professional baseball option.
Megan’s path helps clarify the bigger picture. Some athletes are softball-first. Some are baseball-first. Some have crossed between both. The important thing is that women athletes should have real options that fit their sport and goals.
Why Banana Ball Fans May Follow These Players Into the WPBL
Banana Ball fans connect with players quickly because the environment is built around personality.
Fans see players up close. They watch them interact with crowds. They follow clips, moments and stories. That makes it easier for a player to become familiar even before fans know every statistic.
The WPBL can benefit from that.
If a fan already knows Ashton Lansdell, Denae Benites, Kelsie Whitmore or Val Perez from Banana Ball or women’s baseball spaces, the WPBL becomes easier to follow. Fans are not starting with a blank roster. They already have names to watch.
That is valuable for a new league.
A first-year league needs storylines. It needs players people recognize. It needs reasons for casual fans to care. The Banana Ball crossover gives the WPBL one of those early storylines.
This Is a Crossover Story, Not a Performance Prediction
It is important not to confuse visibility with guaranteed WPBL success.
Banana Ball experience may help prepare WPBL players for crowds, media attention, travel and the public pressure of a new league. But WPBL performance will still depend on baseball.
Players will have to hit, pitch, defend, adjust, stay healthy and help their teams. A recognizable name does not automatically become a top performer.
That is why this article should be read as a player crossover guide, not a ranking or prediction.
The story is about who is connected to both worlds and why that connection matters for the league’s visibility.
Why This Crossover Helps Women’s Baseball
Women’s baseball has often needed visibility.
Many fans still do not know how many women have continued playing baseball beyond youth leagues. Some people assume girls automatically move to softball. Others simply have not seen women’s baseball often enough to understand the pathway.
Banana Ball has helped put some women baseball players in front of large crowds. The WPBL now gives many of those players a professional baseball destination.
Together, that creates a useful sequence.
Fans notice the players in Banana Ball. Then they learn those same players are part of a professional women’s baseball league. That can help grow awareness for the WPBL and for women’s baseball more broadly.
What Fans Should Watch Next
Fans should watch how much attention follows these players into the WPBL.
The most interesting questions are not only about stats. They are about fan movement and league awareness.
Will Banana Ball fans follow Ashton Lansdell to Los Angeles Queens? Will Denae Benites’ story bring more attention to women’s baseball? Will Kelsie Whitmore’s name recognition help new fans understand the league? Will Val Perez become part of the wider WPBL player story?
Those are the questions that make this crossover worth watching.
The WPBL needs strong play on the field, but it also needs fans to care about the people playing. Banana Ball gives some of these players a head start in that part of the job.
Conclusion
The Banana Ball-to-WPBL crossover is one of the clearest early storylines for the Women’s Pro Baseball League.
It connects familiar faces, fan interest and women’s baseball visibility at the exact moment the WPBL is trying to introduce itself to a wider audience.
Ashton Lansdell, Denae Benites, Kelsie Whitmore and Val Perez all help make that bridge easier to see. Megan Wiggins also belongs in the conversation, but her path should be understood differently because of her softball background.
This crossover does not guarantee performance. It does not make Banana Ball and the WPBL the same thing.
But it does give Banana Ball fans a reason to look toward the WPBL, and it gives the WPBL players who already understand how to connect with an audience.
