It’s been an eventual couple of days for international baseball tournaments, with New York Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge being named captain of Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic and Dodger Stadium getting chosen as an official venue for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Baseball was last included as an official Olympic event during the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics, with the United States taking home silver. However, the International Olympic Committee elected not to include baseball for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
But baseball will once again be an Olympic sport as the United States is due host the upcoming international competition. And with Los Angeles as the host city, it only makes sense that Dodger Stadium has been chosen as the venue.
“America’s favorite pastime will capture the world’s attention when baseball makes its Olympic return in Dodger Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles, one of the world’s most iconic stadiums,” said LA28 in a statement. “It has hosted countless record-breaking games, including 11 World Series, the most recent being in 2024, and will continue to break records in 2028.”
Baseball became an official sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona after seven previous appearances as a demonstration sport. The United States made it to the semifinals that year before losing to Japan in the bronze medal game.
In total, baseball has been an official event in six of the last nine Olympics, and the United States has medaled four times: two bronze, one silver and one gold.
“We could not be more excited that Dodger Stadium will play host to the Olympic Games in 2028,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler.
“This iconic ballpark played a significant role in the original inclusion of baseball on the Olympic programme, so it feels fitting that we will once again see international baseball at Dodger Stadium. USA Baseball is looking forward to returning to Los Angeles and representing our nation on our own soil.”
Dodger Stadium does have a history of being the stage for Olympic games, dating back to the last time Los Angeles was a host city in 1984. But at the time baseball was only a demonstration sport rather than an official one that contributed to the medal count. Dodger Stadium also the venue of choice for the final rounds of the 2017 World Baseball Classic in which Team USA finished atop the podium for the first time. Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
