Ajinomoto partners with Japanese pitcher Ayuri Shimano for US Women's Pro Baseball League

Ajinomoto Co. announced a partnership with Japanese women's baseball pitcher Ayuri Shimano, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Queens for the inaugural Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) that will begin in August 2026. The contract runs from July 2026 to June 2027 and includes nutrition support, provision of Ajinomoto products, and marketing use of Shimano’s likeness.

Shimano, born in 2004 in Osaka, has an accomplished amateur career, winning national championships at the middle‑school and high‑school levels and playing for the Yomiuri Giants women's team. The WPBL will feature four teams – Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco – and marks the first U.S. women’s professional baseball league since the All‑American Girls Professional Baseball League ended in 1954. Ajinomoto said the partnership aligns with its “Amino Science” program to promote athlete well‑being through food and nutrition.