“Have you considered a career in marketing? A female will never make it as a baseball agent.” Rachel doesn’t remember how many times she’s heard that, but she remembers her response. It’s a question she’s asked herself many times in life. Why not? 

An elite-level gymnast, Rachel’s formative years were spent falling, picking herself up, learning, overcoming, and mastering new skills in the gym. Through that process she learned resilience, and through intense competition, she developed unwavering confidence in her ability to overcome any obstacle placed in front of her. Rachel went on to be a member of the UCLA Gymnastics Team, until a multitude of injuries eventually forced her to retire in her final year. Following a 20-year long gymnastics career and constantly in search of a challenge, Rachel quickly began training to fight for the UCLA Boxing Team, where she went on to win bronze in the first-ever national championship for women’s collegiate boxing. Yet, while taking on the male-dominated sport of boxing physically, Rachel intellectually found a new passion for and challenge in the sport of baseball. 

Having never followed or played the game, Rachel leaned on the process she developed in the gym to teach herself the industry. Over the next six years, she completed her undergrad at UCLA, began boxing competitively, secured an internship at a baseball agency, graduated from Pepperdine Law, passed the Bar Exam, and was hired by the Major League Baseball Players Association as a Salary Arbitration attorney, where she assisted in taking a record 22 cases to hearing in 2018 and helping the Players finish with a 12-10 victory over the Teams. Despite her accomplishments, many in the industry continued to dismiss her chances of becoming an agent, citing her gender as an impassable obstacle. 

But gender isn’t the only lack of diversity Rachel was confronted with in the baseball industry. While studying economic models of the top agencies, she noticed striking similarities in the way clients are charged. Her plan was born. She left the Players Association intent on launching her own agency and bringing much needed gender and economic diversity to a stagnant industry. 

After signing her first client, Trevor Bauer, following the 2019 season, Luba Sports was born. It exists to offer clients hyper-personalized and customizable representation packages and to revitalize a stagnant industry. From her time spent in the ring boxing larger opponents to her fight to break into the baseball industry, Rachel has always embraced the role of underdog and considers herself a fighter. In addition to helping players maximize their career earnings, she hopes to inspire future generations of women and underdogs to fight for their goals, no matter the odds. 

Rachel has become the first female to ever represent a Cy Young winner, the first female to negotiate a $100M+ contract, and now has become the first MLB agent--male or female--to negotiate a $40M+ per year contract in MLB history.

In 2021, Rachel was named to Forbes 30 Under 30--a well-deserved accomplishment as she continues to push boundaries and break barriers within baseball and the sports industry in general.

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