Major League Baseball created the World Baseball Classic to introduce a best-on-best tournament displaying the top baseball players on the planet against each other. While not nearly causing as much chaos as the FIFA World Cup, the WBC serves as a nation versus nation event where MLB and other professional players are pitting against each other.
MLB players have never played in the Olympics, while major league players in general have only competed in four Olympiad. Baseball is a come and go sport in the Olympics and will not feature in this summer's Paris Games after it was part of the 2021 Tokyo Games.
It will likely return in 2028 for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. If there was ever a time to let MLB players compete in the Olympics, it is then. Not even Major League Baseball, with all its marketing faults and critics alike, should screw up this opportunity.
Yes there are hoops to jump through, but displaying the sport's best talent on a global stage can only help the MLB and baseball grow. Commissioner Rob Manfred says the league is considering its options for the 2028 Games. MLB owners recently listened to a presentation from the chairman of the 2028 LA Games, Casey Wasserman.
“He was saying things to me that they had to hear directly,” Manfred said, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. “Sometimes it's better that way. I invited Casey in, and he did a really nice job. He was very persuasive. I said to Casey last week, we're talking about what can be done. What exactly would it look like? What are the compromises that we would have to make in terms of our season? I remain open-minded on that topic.”
MLB has more imminent projects and discussions that need to be ironed out first, but at least beginning the discussion of pausing the season to allow players at the Olympics is a good sign.
Bryce Harper, other MLB stars lead charge for Olympics
If Major League Baseball is worried that its players won’t buy into the idea of participating in the Olympics, it must be looking in the wrong place. Several players, including perennial All-Stars and MVP candidates, have advocated for MLB's inclusion in the Olympics.
“Putting the nation's colors on your chest, there's nothing like it,” Bryce Harper said. “There's no greater feeling going into another country and winning and hearing your anthem blast. So I'm hoping we can get something done. Obviously it's tough logistically, but it would be a lot of fun to be able to get baseball there and have the best players there doing it and representing their country.”
Harper is one of Major League Baseball's most marketable stars but he might only have a few prime years left. He'll be 35 in 2028 and plans to still be good enough to don the stars and stripes at the Olympics.
He knows how important growing baseball is. The Olympics offers a prime space to do just that.
“I think we talk about growing the game, that's, like, the biggest thing,” Harper said. “If you can grow the game in the Olympics and be part of that, there's something to be said about that.”
Other players who've represented their country in the WBC share the same sentiment as Harper. They wouldn’t mind halting the season to play in the Olympics and most would probably treat it as a postseason preview.
Baseball fans would certainly bring the energy. A golden opportunity is ahead for Major League Baseball. They can’t strike out on this one.
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