MLB, MLBPA Mulling Idea Of Allowing Big Leaguers To Play In 2028 Olympics

Image credit: Team USA WBC (Photo by Alex Trautwig/WBCI/MLB via Getty Images)

MLB players have never been allowed to participate in Olympic baseball, but that may change, as both the MLB Players Association and MLB are at least open to the possibility of allowing big league players to play in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

While there are still many hurdles to get over before MLB players actually suit up to play for a gold medal, both MLBPA executive director Tony Clark and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke during All-Star Game media availability Tuesday about interest in seeing what would have to be done to make that possibility a reality.

Manfred said that, after discussions with Casey Wasserman, CEO of LA2028, he encouraged Wasserman to speak directly to MLB owners about the proposal to allow MLB players to play in the Olympics.

“(Wasserman) did a really nice job, and he was very persuasive,” Manfred said. “I sat with 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.”

Manfred said there is “player interest” for the games, and that the American-based location of the 2028 Games is a persuading factor.

“We all know when you’re in Paris (for 2024), they’re probably not gonna build a baseball stadium,” he said. “But when you’re in L.A., it is an opportunity that we need to think about.”

To allow MLB player inclusion in the Olympics would likely require a week or two pause of the MLB schedule (or an allowance to replace the All-Star Week with the Olympics for 2028). Because baseball and softball now are a joint inclusion on the Olympic program and share the same facilities, the baseball schedule for the Olympics is limited to one week.

Clark also showed a willingness to discuss the possibilities.

“The feedback we’ve gotten from players is there is an interest in participating if given an opportunity,” he said. “So, we expect at least as of right now, the players will determine to what extent that needs to be leaned in on. Not just for 2028, but I think it’s probably an important discussion to be had to how 2028 could be a building block toward it being more consistently in the Olympics moving forward.”

Baseball has jumped on and off the Olympics schedule over the past 40 years. It was an exhibition sport in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and a demonstration sport in 1988 in Seoul. It became an official medal sport from 1992 through 2008 before being dropped from the Olympic schedule for 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio. Baseball returned to the calendar when the Olympics were held in Japan, a baseball-loving country, in 2020, but is not part of the 2024 Olympics this year in Paris.

Much like Japan, the sport will be part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles because of the ties to baseball in the U.S. Currently, that carries no guarantees for baseball being included in future Olympic programs.

The allowance for MLB players to participate would hypothetically strengthen the case for inclusion of baseball on a more permanent basis. On multiple occasions in the past, the IOC has cited the lack of MLB players as a mark against including baseball in the Olympics.

Japan has paused its NPB season to ensure that Japanese stars can participate in the Olympics. In past Olympics of the 21st century, the U.S. has included MiLB players (as well as the occasional top amateur player) on its roster. The U.S. did not qualify for the 2004 Olympics in baseball.