LAS VEGAS -- In a way, it was only fitting that Jennie Finch, perhaps the most notable professional softball player in the history of the sport, stood on the stage at the Chelsea Theater alongside Harold Reynolds to speak to the progress of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
The AUSL, which expanded to six teams in its second season in 2026, has continued gaining popularity with an even bigger presence among new fans. The AUSL accumulated over 450 million social media impressions, and Game 1 of the 2026 AUSL Championship Series between the Talons and Bandits became the first professional softball game on broadcast television.
2026 MLB Awards
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• Alvarez, PCA become 1st-time winners of Hank Aaron Award
• Yordan, Wheeler named Comeback Players of the Year
• World Series star Contreras the very definition of first Flow Mayor Award
• Cowser's game-ending homer robbery named Premier Play of Year
• Neander becomes two-time Executive of the Year winner
• Yordan unseats Ohtani for Outstanding DH, first new winner in 6 years
• AUSL stars honored at MLB Awards, with champion Talons well represented
“With a strategic investment from Major League Baseball and clear momentum from 2025, the AUSL became the summer staple that the increasingly popular sport of softball deserves — a viable pathway for the most talented collegiate athletes to continue their careers on a professional level,” Finch said on stage.
And on Wednesday night, the best of the AUSL were honored at the MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards.
Montana Fouts continued her dominance at every level of the sport when she was named Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season. She established AUSL single-season records with 62 1/3 innings pitched, 63 strikeouts, seven wins and seven complete games. She also set a new AUSL single-game record with 12 strikeouts against the Volts in June.
Fouts’ teammate, outfielder Jadelyn Allchin, was named the 2026 AUSL Championship MVP after helping her team sweep the Bandits. Allchin went 3-for-6 with three runs scored and three RBIs in the series. In the decisive Game 2 victory, she contributed an RBI double and a home run, as well as putting on a defensive highlight reel.
Chicago Bandits infielder Sami Williams was named the Hitter of the Year after leading her squad to its second consecutive postseason appearance. She set AUSL single-season records with 12 doubles and 34 RBIs while ranking second in the league with a .427 batting average.
Catcher Reese Atwood, the No. 7 overall selection in the 2026 AUSL College Draft out of the University of Texas, was named Rookie of the Year as she excelled in her debut season, hitting .309 with a team-leading eight home runs and 25 RBIs for the Carolina Blaze.
Utah Talons infielder Bri Ellis was named the Comeback Player of the Year, returning during her second AUSL season to hit .353 with five home runs for the AUSL champions.