Olivia Pichardo is proof of what MLB Develops can build 

This week, a select group of young women are attending MLB’s Elite Development Invitational and learning from USA Women’s National Team baseball and softball players, as well as coaches and alumni at training camps designed to feature intense on-field baseball and softball development, and to empower women in sports.

The event takes place at MLB’s historic Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla., the home of several MLB Youth Programs, and the site where Olivia Pichardo first was exposed to baseball programming specifically for girls.

Pichardo joined MLB Develops around 2018, after her father had been searching for opportunities for girls in baseball. After discovering MLB Develops, she was originally a part of the program’s Breakthrough Series, which focuses on developing young athletes and exposes them to college scouting. Pichardo was also a part of MLB GRIT, a program designed for female athletes to showcase their talent and ability as baseball players.

During a recent visit to MLB’s headquarters in New York, Pichardo reflected on her life in baseball, from when she was often the only girl on her Little League teams, to arriving at MLB Develops, where she had the opportunity to work with other girls who were enthusiastic about the sport. It was a dream come true.

“For most of us, we have probably worked harder than any of our male teammates who we played alongside because of just that biological difference. I want people to know how much hard work goes into it and how passionate we are about the game of baseball,” she said.

While Pichardo remembered initially feeling shy during her first experiences with Develops, she now attributes the programming to giving her some of her best friends and mentors. Pichardo has been especially impacted by her coaches Veronica Alvarez and Tamara Holmes, who instilled a lot of confidence in her, both on and off the field.

One of the star's most memorable moments from her time at Develops was when Kim Ng, the first ever female general manager who is currently the Commissioner of the AUSL, came to speak to the girls. Pichardo recalled feeling inspired hearing from another female in a male dominated space. She also was struck by how impactful it was to see an Asian American woman, like her, in a position of power. Ng’s advice to Pichardo for handling sly comments and learning to always overprepare has been some of the best advice she received at Develops.

In 2022, Pichardo experienced several career milestones, including making the USA Baseball Women’s National Team for the first time, and walking on to Brown University’s baseball team, making her the first woman to play baseball at the D1 level.

During her time at Brown, Pichardo received quite a bit of media attention. While it wasn’t always positive, she appreciated the messages she received from the parents of young girls who were also playing baseball, giving her even more motivation.

“To see all the positive direct messages I got on Instagram from parents of girls who also play baseball and were also the only girl on their baseball teams meant a lot to me and gave me a little more motivation to stick to baseball for as long as I could and be the best baseball player I could be,” she said.

Pichardo’s last year at Brown was especially empowering, as the team advanced to the 2026 Ivy League Tournament Championship. The team finished its postseason run as the tournament's runner-up, which also happened to be its best season finish since 2007.

Pichardo graduated from Brown this spring with a degree in Business and Economics while competing in a Division I sport, and she has an exciting few months ahead that will further showcase her talent and determination.

This fall, Pichardo will be joining the Cal Golden Bears to begin her softball career, after transferring to the University of California at Berkeley. She shared how attentive she was throughout the recruitment process, emailing and DMing as many coaches as she could, with Cal being one of the first replies she got back.

“I was very proactive about the recruiting process because I knew that most of the big D1 programs would know that I have never played in a softball game before. I wanted to make sure they knew that I was going to be passionate about softball,” she said.

While reflecting on her career, Pichardo said that if she had the opportunity to share advice with her younger self she would say to have more fun and relax. She remembers feeling the pressure of all eyes being on her, with little room for mistakes.

Pichardo wants to remind fans and viewers watching for the first time how much hard work and passion goes into her playing and that nothing has ever been handed to her or any of the girls on the USA National Team.

“Looking back, I wish I could tell myself to not let one bad game affect me and remind myself that I am playing because I love baseball,” she said.