The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic’s MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox.Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you haven’t. Either way, we’re talking about it today.Before you ask, no, it’s not the leadoff-to-walk-off-home-run pipeline (x2!), nor the long-awaited explanation for why Julio Rodríguez insists on playing catch with fans midgame. (What a see-saw ride life is for Mariners fans right now — but isn’t it always?)It’s the Women’s Professional Baseball League. Based out of Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., this brand-new venture hopes to become the most successful women’s pro baseball league since World War II. But can this startup sustain itself on a remote fan base and television viewership, without a preexisting player pipeline or MLB support, all while navigating a fresh court filing and the many other — ahem, curveballs — that come with being built from scratch? I’m Emily Ohman, your designated hitter today while Levi enjoys his vacation — welcome to The Windup!Standings Check: How these teams stack upThe WPBL just launched at the beginning of August, but the 15-game regular-season schedule for each team (30 games overall) is already nearly over. The league’s four teams — the San Francisco Firebells, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights and Boston Hunters — will all advance to the playoffs, where they’ll play a three-game semifinal series to set the championship field. The respective winners will face off in a five-game series for the first WPBL title.Quick aside — these team names have real significance to them. One of the more thoughtful naming systems I’ve encountered, the names honor not only the foremothers of women’s baseball, but also early champions of women’s rights around the country.Regular-season standings will determine semifinal seeds: The team with the best record will play the team with the worst, and the two middle teams will face each other. San Francisco (6-4) currently leads the table, with Los Angeles and New York (5-5) on its heels. (Classic rivalries seem to be translating here, too — I spotted at least one “Beat L.A.” sign, akin to what you would see at a Giants-Dodgers game, in the crowd for a recent Firebells-Queens matchup.)Boston rounds out the standings at 4-6. The Hunters play again tonight, kicking off the Wednesday-Sunday league week.Playoffs start Sept. 9, and you should tune in (all games are on ESPN+). More on why later, but first, you’ve got to see this league’s mascot, the iconic Maybelle Blair:Under the Hood: Players wearing many hats (and helmets and headsets)The offense has been excellent so far. Nine players — 43 percent of qualified hitters — have homered, with Denae Benites of the Heights and Kelsie Whitmore of the Firebells each connecting for eight in 10 games. Benites is slashing a league-leading .658/.682/1.316. Whitmore, also a pitcher, is hitting .500/.550/1.235.