Softball is a popular sport played by millions of people around the world. It has many similarities with baseball but with a major exception: gender.
Tough softball is not exclusively played by women, but it is more commonly associated with female athletes.
Softball was invented as an indoor version of baseball that required a pitch underhand instead of overhand.
Some people believe that women play softball instead of baseball because they have smaller hands and less throwing power, while others argue that societal expectations and gender stereotypes have led to the separation of the two sports.
Female athletes often prefer Softball due to several factors, including the smaller playing field, larger ball size, and lower risk of injuries compared to baseball.
Here we won’t be discussing nuances of gender associated with this sport, but we will look into famous personalities associated with it. Over the years, there have been many talented and successful players who have made their mark in the game.
To know which ones have achieved outstanding success and recognition in their careers, here are the top 10 best softball players ever:
10. Dot Richardson
Dot Richardson is one of the most famous softball players in history. She is a two-time gold medal winner from Orlando, Florida, who is a right-handed shortstop softball player and an American physician.
She played with the UCLA Bruins and won the first NCAA National Championship in 1982.
She is currently the Head Coach of the Softball Team Lady Flames of Liberty University.
She is an honorary of the USA Softball Hall of Fame.
Richardson was an important part of the National team of the United States that won the gold medal for the 1996 Olympic debut, hitting the home run that won the game. She also participated in the 2000 Sydney gold medal-winning team.
9. Jennie Finch
Jennie Finch is a retired two-time pro-all-star, righthand-hitting softball pitcher originally from La Mirada, California.
She is a former All-American colleague and Olympian with the medal.
She pitched for the Arizona Wildcats, the United States National Softball Team, and the Chicago Bandits.
Finch was the 2001 winner of the Women’s College World Series and was a leader of Team USA in the Summer Olympics 2004 and in the Summer Olympics 2008 in silver.
Time magazine described her as the world’s most famous softball player. Her MLB training camps and All-Star games even take her talents to challenge the best of baseball.
Finch had enjoyed a wonderful life as a mother and commentator and had numerous TV appearances.
8. Jessica Mendoza
Jessica Mendoza is a former 4-time First All-American Team, two-time medal-winning Olympian, retired All-Star Softball outfielder originally from Camarillo, California, and also is the current sports broadcaster for ESPN.
The retired softball star has made history as the first woman to serve on every national broadcasting platform as a World Series analyst.
She was also the first woman in a national regular-season game to be a game analyst.
Then, by becoming the first woman analyst for a nationally televised postseason game, she created history again.
As senior adviser to the General Manager, she joined the New York Mets organization in 2019.
7. Lisa Fernandez
Lisa Fernandez is a Puerto Rican American former collegiate 4-time First Team All-American, 3-time Olympian medal winner, right-handed hitting softball pitcher, and Third Baseman, and current softball assistant coach at UCLA.
She originally comes from Long Beach, California.
Lisa Fernandez has won numerous awards in her life and has been recognized for being one of the most outstanding athletes from Lakewood, California, with playgrounds and ball fields named after her.
She’s a famous Cuban/Puerto Rican softball pitcher who created the Olympic record of 25 strikeouts in softball.
6. Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman, a softball pitcher and a former Softball Assistant Coach, is one of the best softball players of all time.
She has won four All-American awards, two Olympic medals (one gold and one silver), and six All-Star selections. She retired from professional softball in 2015 but came back in 2018 to pursue her dream of playing for the 2020 U.S. Olympic softball team.
She achieved her goal and led the team to a silver medal in Tokyo.
She also joined the Athletes Unlimited Softball League in 2020 and became the first individual points leader and gold medalist.
She is widely regarded as the best pitcher in NCAA history and the third-greatest college softball player of all time.
5. Jocelyn Alo
Jocelyn Alo is an American professional softball player for the Oklahoma City Spark of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF).
She played college softball for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Alo was named 2018 NFCA National Freshman of the Year, and named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. She is the NCAA Division I career leader in home runs.
Alo was drafted first overall by the Smash It Vipers in the inaugural WPF draft.
She is also a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2021 and 2022) and has been recognized as the NFCA Player of the Year in 2022, as well as the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022.
Alo’s popularity is further evidenced by her large following on social media, with an Instagram account (@jocygurl78) that showcases her professional career and has a significant number of followers.
Additionally, her achievements, such as setting NCAA career records for home runs, total bases, and slugging percentage, have contributed to her widespread recognition and popularity.
4. Monica Abbott
Monica Abbott, a softball pitcher and a silver medalist for Team USA, is one of the most famous softball players in the world.
She started her career as a former All-American collegiate at the University of Tennessee, where she pitched for the Tennessee Lady Vols. She also played in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) and the Japan Softball League.
She represented Team USA in various international tournaments since 2005 and was part of the national softball team that won the silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
She holds the NCAA Division I records for strikeouts, shutouts, wins, and innings.
3. Michele Smith
Michele Mary Smith is an American former collegiate All-American, two-time medal-winning Olympian, international professional left-handed hitting fastpitch softball pitcher, and current sports commentator.
Smith played her college career for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls from 1986 to 1989, where she set numerous records in the now-defunct Big Eight Conference.
She is a double Olympic Softball gold medalist with Team USA, having played in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.
Smith has been ESPN’s lead college softball color analyst since 1998.
She is also a Gold Medalist, keynote speaker, and ESPN commentator.
Additionally, she has been an eight-time Japan Pro Softball League champion and MVP.
2. Natasha Watley
Natasha Watley is a softball player and a two-time Olympic medalist, one of the most famous softball players ever.
She was a former collegiate 4-time First Team All-American at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she played for the Bruins.
Watley led the Bruins to three consecutive Women’s College World Series and the NCAA Division I Softball Championship in 2003.
She also joined the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. She represented Team USA in the Olympics, winning gold in 2004 and silver in 2008.
She played professionally for USSSA Pride and Team Toyota in Japan. She retired as a 7-time pro-All-Star.
Natasha Watley holds several records for the Bruins and is one of the few players from NCAA Division I to bat at least .400 with 300 hits, 200 runs, and 100 stolen bases.
1. Sue Enquist
Sue Enquist is a softball coach and a Hall of Famer and is one of the most popular softball players in history.
She holds the record for the most National Championships (11) in softball history and was the first All-American, National Champion, and Hall of Famer for the UCLA Softball team.
She had a .401 batting average for 24 years, the best in the UCLA team records.
Sue also played for the Raybestos Brakettes, leading them to four Amateur Softball Association National Championships in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1980.
Sue Enquist retired from UCLA in 2006, after achieving a .835 career winning percentage, the highest by any collegiate softball coach, with 800 career wins.
She was inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006, the UCLA Hall of Fame in 1993, and the Unified Capistrano School Hall of Fame in 2000.
These top 10 softball players highlighted in this article represent the pinnacle of achievement in the world of softball.
Their talent, dedication, and passion for the sport have inspired countless individuals and cemented their place in softball history.
From the legendary Dot Richardson to the current star Jocelyn Alo, each player on this list has made significant contributions to the sport, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on the field.
As we look to the future of softball, it’s clear that these remarkable athletes will continue to serve as role models for generations to come, inspiring young players to chase their dreams and strive for greatness.