Major League Baseball players potentially participating in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is still on the table, according to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. However, there are significant challenges for stars like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Bryce Harper to compete for a gold medal.
Baseball was an Olympic sport from 1992 to 2008 but was not included until the 2021 Tokyo Games, where only players not on MLB’s 40-man rosters were eligible due to club restrictions.
Although baseball won’t be part of the 2024 Paris Olympics, it has been reinstated for 2028. LA 2028 chairman Casey Wasserman presented a plan to MLB owners in February outlining how major leaguers could participate.
“I recently met with Casey to discuss possibilities and logistics. We’re exploring what adjustments would be needed to accommodate Olympic participation within our season. So, I’m keeping an open mind about it,” Manfred stated to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
“One compelling point Casey made is focusing on LA’s unique opportunity rather than long-term Olympic baseball plans. For instance, Paris may not build a baseball stadium, but LA presents a different scenario that we should consider seriously.”
In the 2021 Olympic final, Japan defeated the U.S., leveraging players from Nippon Professional Baseball during a break in their season.
