Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has worked hard to grow the game of baseball since he became commissioner. Some of Manfred's decisions have seen him receive backlash from fans. On Thursday, he and MLB took another step to expand the baseball world. MLB announced their partnership with Athletes Unlimited, a professional softball league. AUSL's commissioner, Kim Ng, and Manfred joined forces to increase the popularity of softball around the U.S.

Both Manfred and Ng spoke about what their partnership will bring, and Manfred expressed his excitement.

“We're excited about our partnership with AUSL,” Manfred said. “We went out, given the interest in women's sports generally, talked about maybe starting a league of our own…”

During their search, Manfred and MLB found Ng and AUSL. The fit between the two leagues was perfect and their partnership soon followed. Because of the popularity of the WNBA, the professional baseball world worked towards promoting female players and the leagues they play in.

AUSL began as an annual event run by Athletes Unlimited, but launched as an official league in May. Ng has overseen the development of the league and spoke about what the partnership means to her and AUSL.

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“This is a huge, huge step for the world of softball,” Ng said about the partnership. “…for MLB to be investing in the women's pro landscape is just phenomenal.”

AUSL's first season begins in June, but the league has already begun marketing its teams and players. Having Manfred and MLB as a partner gives Ng the resources she needs to get fans to watch and buy into the game.

MLB and AUSL have a clear path they want to mimic as the leagues grow together. The partnership between the NBA and WNBA has resulted in both leagues being more popular than ever. For Ng and Manfred, they want to work together to produce similar results in the baseball world.

“I think there's such a spotlight on women's pro sports.” Ng said, talking about the opportunity that lies before her and Manfred this summer.