Former Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng Joins Athletes Unlimited

Kim Ng, former MLB executive and the first female general manager of an MLB team, joins Athletes Unlimited as a senior advisor to oversee the development of the organization’s new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).

Ng will bring her decades of experience in professional baseball to guide the evolution of AUSL, which will begin with four teams playing a 60-game season in the traditional format in the spring of 2025. She will work closely with Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof and SVP and director of softball Cheri Kempf.

“Given the growth at the grassroots and collegiate levels in recent years, softball is poised for tremendous growth at the professional level,” Ng said in an embargoed statement. “I believe the AUSL is well positioned for success.”

Ng’s baseball career includes stints with the Miami Marlins (2021-23 as GM), Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-11 as assistant GM) and New York Yankees (1998-2001 as assistant GM). She made history as the Yankees’ youngest assistant general manager. The 2023 Marlins, under Ng’s leadership, posted the fourth-best winning percentage in franchise history, and the team reached the playoffs for the first time in two decades.

With AUSL, Ng returns to her softball roots. While working in MLB’s baseball and softball development department, Ng served as MLB’s representative on the USA Softball board and worked with key former and current Team USA softball players to grow the sport at the grassroots level. She also played softball at the University of Chicago, where she earned a degree in public policy.

Athletes Unlimited’s new softball league will complement the existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season. Softball icons Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman and Natasha Watley serve as advisors to the AUSL, working with Ng, AU leadership and current athletes to determine the direction of the league.

The AUSL will become a city competition from 2026, while the first season in 2025 will be a touring venue with matches in six to eight different cities.

Athletes Unlimited debuted in 2020 with its inaugural AU Pro Softball Championship Season. Since then, it has expanded to include professional women’s lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball competitions.