The Olympic Games are coming to Los Angeles in 2028, with baseball already being announced as one of the sports on the schedule. It will mark the seventh time baseball is featured in the Olympics and the first since the 2020 games, when Japan defeated the United States to win the gold medal.
The most recent baseball tournament was played in 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and included several players with Major League experience, but not the big names that fans are accustomed to seeing in the World Baseball Classic.
That could change in 2028 as Wasserman CEO Casey Wasserman has proposed a star-studded tournament for the Olympics that could include as many as eight countries, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
On Wednesday, Casey Wasserman — CEO of the Wasserman agency and the chairperson of a group that spearheaded the push to bring the Olympics to LA in 2028 — discussed a tournament with the owners that could include six or eight countries, three meeting attendees told The Athletic.
The tournament would run for only five or six days to avoid interrupting the MLB regular season:
Importantly, the tournament would be played on a condensed schedule: perhaps five or six days, so that the interruption to the regular season would be minimal, attendees said.
With the 2028 Olympic Games taking place in July, the proposed tournament would likely be played when MLB is on its All-Star break. However, the event could potentially supplant the All-Star Game and/or the Home Run Derby for that year unless both are held in Los Angeles:
Baseball’s portion of the Olympics also would be scheduled around the time that MLB would normally be on its All-Star break, in mid-July. The 2028 Olympic games are scheduled to run from July 14 to July 30, and baseball could potentially become one of the events to kick off the games.
The usual All-Star Game might be canceled for one year, supplanted by the Olympics, which would serve a similar purpose — it’s a showcase of the best, but one that theoretically would be watched by many more people. Alternatively, it might be possible to hold an All-Star Game in conjunction with the Olympics, with both being played in Los Angeles. Even a Home Run Derby could potentially be worked in.
Were a reduction in regular-season games necessary, it would likely be a very small number of games — perhaps down to 158 games or so.
The popularity of the WBC has highlighted a need for a continuing international tournament, and the Olympics can bring even more attention to baseball.
However, any large-scale tournament involving MLB players would need to be approved by the Players Association, and no decision is imminent at this time.
2028 Olympics Los Angeles
The 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will mark the third time the city has hosted the Olympic Games, with the previous two instances coming in 1984 and 1932.
“I have long believed that we have an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles to create the most compelling Games, not just for us, but for the world,” Wasserman said last year.
“Our Olympic sport program, in its entirety, reflects this belief. We are excited to embark on game-changing collaborations with major professional leagues that will unlock massive opportunities to amplify the Olympic and Paralympic story and captivate new audiences.”
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