ARLINGTON ¨C Could Major League players become participants in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles? There¡¯s a long way to go before that becomes a reality, but according to Commissioner Rob Manfred, the idea has certainly been discussed.
Manfred invited Casey Wasserman, the chairman of the 2028 L.A. Olympics, to make a presentation to the owners, laying out his vision for MLB players to participate in the Summer Games four years from now.
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¡°He was saying things to me that they had to hear directly,¡± Manfred said during his annual All-Star Q&A with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. ¡°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.¡±
Using MLB players in the Olympics would obviously present logistical challenges, as the Summer Games take place in the midst of the Major League season.
Manfred noted that as he makes his rounds talking with players, he has heard interest from a number of them on the topic. Several All-Stars said Monday that they would welcome and cherish the opportunity to suit up for their country in the Olympics, some already having had a taste of it in the World Baseball Classic.
¡°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.¡±
¡°You want to experience as much as you can in this game, and I think the WBC is an indication about how people feel about their national teams playing,¡± Christian Yelich said. ¡°It's pretty cool, right? The atmosphere and the popularity of the WBC is only increasing, and it's been more fun to be a part of. It's one of my fondest baseball memories, so yeah, I think that would be great.¡±
Baseball is expected to return to the Olympics in 2028, though whether MLB players will participate remains a question. Manfred noted that the Olympics¡¯ location presents a unique opportunity.
¡°Maybe the thing that I found most persuasive that Casey is saying is, forget about what's going to happen with baseball in the Olympics long term, because when they're in Paris, they're probably not going to build a baseball stadium,¡± Manfred said. ¡°But when you're in L.A., you focus on L.A., it is an opportunity that we need to think about.¡±
Harper recently mentioned something to Manfred ¡°on the fly¡± regarding the 2028 Games. He¡¯s one of several players to have expressed excitement about the possibility.
¡°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 that is to be said about that.¡±
Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Association, said the union would address the issue with the league if the players express such a desire.
¡°Personally, all I can tell you is that I wish I had an opportunity ¨C even with the WBC ¨C to wear USA across my chest,¡± Clark said. ¡°I didn't have that opportunity. Obviously, the Olympics is something that, as a youngster, regardless of sport, you watch on TV and you aspire to participate in it. The feedback that we've gotten so far from players is such that there is an interest in participating if given an opportunity. So we expect at least as of right now, based on the feedback that we've gotten, that it will be a conversation we'll look to have.¡±
ABS at Spring Training 2025?
Manfred said earlier this year that an automated ball-strike system (ABS) would not be arriving in the Majors in 2025, adding that if and when it does, it would likely be in the form of a challenge system.
Tuesday, the Commissioner reiterated that ¡°it is not likely that we would bring ABS to the big leagues without a Spring Training test,¡± and that while nothing has been decided, that test could come as soon as next spring.
¡°One thing we learned with the changes last year is, a little more time is better than not enough time. Just in terms of making sure when you bring something to the big leagues, you¡¯ve got to make sure you got it right,¡± Manfred said. ¡°We have made material progress; the technology is good to 100th of an inch; the technology in terms of the path of the ball is pluperfect, number one. Number two, we have listened ¨C me, in particular, and I've carried a lot of this water with the owners ¨C to player input on how they want to see it rolled out. Our focus, obviously, the second half of this year is on the challenge system, and that is almost 100% based on player feedback. I think that's important as progress.¡±
Manfred noted that technical issues ¡°still need to be worked out¡± surrounding the definition of the strike zone, and while he called the 2026 season ¡°a viable possibility¡± for the official introduction of ABS to the Majors, that is far from certain.
Clark said he believes giving players an opportunity to test a new ABS challenge system during Spring Training would be a useful tool.
¡°To the extent that the league is looking to implement it, it would be beneficial for players to get eyes on it at some point in time beyond the experiences in the Minor Leagues,¡± Clark said. ¡°But we'll have to wait to see what that might be.¡±
All-Star uniforms going retro?
There has been a lot of chatter among fans about the idea of players wearing their regular team uniforms in the All-Star Game rather than the AL and NL uniforms that were put into place in 2021, an issue that Manfred said would surely be discussed moving forward.
¡°I'm aware of the sentiment on this issue,¡± Manfred said. ¡°I think where my head is on it, it's something we're going to have conversations about coming out of the All-Star Game. Obviously the conversations have to involve the players, first and foremost, but Nike and some of our partners. I am aware of the sentiment, and I do know why people kind of like that tradition.¡±