Could MLB players take part in Olympics?

With baseball set to be revived as an Olympic sport for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, there has been growing speculation whether MLB players might be allowed to participate. That possibility appears to be growing.

Some owners are growing increasingly supportive of allowing players to take part in the 2028 Olympics, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. Owners on Wednesday were presented with a potential format that would allow players to play for their countries without seriously disrupting the season, and some came away cautiously optimistic that the plan might work.

The Olympics would overlap with MLB’s All-Star break, so one potential plan involved simply skipping the All-Star Game in 2028 to allow players to participate. The Olympic tournament would also be played on a condensed schedule of no more than a week, which would significantly mitigate potential impacts on the league schedule. The plan could result in a shortened season, but that would be minor and would still allow the league to play a 158-game season or thereabouts.

Many details have yet to be determined, and there are other logistical issues to work through. The MLBPA would also have to approve any proposal.

Baseball was dropped as an Olympic sport after 2004, so it would make sense for MLB to want to make its return a success. Injuries are always a concern, but a midseason tournament would help mitigate some of those risks, as would the relatively short nature of the event.

The next question would be which players would be eager to take part in the event. We know of at least one superstar that would be very excited about the opportunity, and plenty of others would likely join him.