Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper recently made headlines with his heartfelt plea for Major League Baseball players to be allowed to play in the Olympics.
“There’s nothing more worldwide than the Olympics,” Harper said “I watch the most random sports in the Olympics because it’s the Olympics, and that’s really cool.
“I love hockey. It’s one of my favorite sports to watch. To see (the NHL) take that three-week break and let those guys go play, that’s another big goal that we should have as Major League Baseball.
“I’ve talked to numerous people with MLB about it. I would love to be a part of that. We have the (World Baseball Classic), but it’s not the same. It’s not … The Olympics is something that you dream about playing in.”
Well, it seems like we may be inching closer towards that dream actually happening.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed his support for Major League Baseball players participating in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“When you’re in L.A., it is an opportunity we need to think about,” Manfred said this week.
Besides Harper, many MLB players are in favor of being allowed to represent their country on the Olympic stage.
Adding to the chorus of support, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani emphasized the potential to attract new fans to the sport.
“In the Olympics especially, there will be more chances for people who normally don’t watch baseball to watch (baseball),” Ohtani told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
“In that sense, I think it’s something that’s very important for baseball.”
Baseball, which was last featured in the Olympics during the Tokyo Games, is expected to make a comeback in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Currently, Olympic baseball rules only permit amateurs and professional players not on MLB’s 40-man rosters to participate, excluding active Major Leaguers from mid-season Olympic involvement.
The previous Team USA Olympic roster, for instance, featured notable names like Scott Kazmir, Edwin Jackson, Simeon Woods-Richardson, and Todd Frazier, all of whom had MLB experience.
Despite these limitations, Team USA managed to secure a silver medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, falling to Japan, which pauses its domestic league for the games.
Japan’s roster included prominent players such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Masahiro Tanaka, and Kodai Senga.
Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics, Harper, who will be 35 by then, is hopeful for a change.
Since baseball became an official Olympic medal sport in 1992, Team USA has only clinched one gold medal, in 2000, alongside two silver and two bronze medals.
What are your thoughts on the apparent momentum to allow MLB players to compete in the Olympics?
Do you agree with Harper and so many others that the best of the best should be allowed to play?
When it’s all said and done, do you think we’ll see Major Leaguers represent Team USA come 2028???