Opinion: USA Hockey Just Set the Standard — Now MLB Players Deserve Their Olympic Shot
Team USA’s golden moment highlights what baseball fans could experience—if MLB allows its stars to compete.
GLENDALE, AZ—Few things bind a nation together the way sports do. In moments of great competition, individual backgrounds fade, and a shared identity takes over — millions of people standing behind one flag, one team, one purpose. It’s a rare kind of collective energy, a reminder that despite our differences, we still come together instinctively when something inspires us.
At the height of that unifying power sits the Olympic Games. Every four years, the world pauses to celebrate not just athletic excellence, but a global community built on respect, pride, and possibility. When national teams step onto the Olympic stage, they carry the hopes of an entire country — and for a few weeks, the nation beats with the same heart.
Just recently, we witnessed, on a national scale, Team USA Hockey win the Gold over Canada in overtime, a competition that allows players from the National Hockey League to compete despite playing in the middle of the regular season.
Now, next up are the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, which are set to be hosted in Los Angeles, California, and baseball is making its return, sparking major discussion about whether Major League Baseball should let its players compete.
The NHL recently watched its players compete in Milano Cortina, resulting in one of the most-watched hockey events in recent memory. The gold medal game had the entire country setting alarms at 5 AM to watch the USA face Canada.
The ratings were excellent, the excitement was huge, and the sport gained significant visibility when it needed it most. The NHL made the right decision, and all involved benefited. Now it’s time for the MLB todo the same.
Entering the 2028 season, baseball will face the same opportunity as before, but with one major advantage that the NHL did not have: the Summer Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles. Over the past 15 years, Los Angeles has become a baseball hub thanks to the Dodgers’ enormous success.
However, as it stands right now, it’s a complicated situation, but with labor negotiations set to take place this upcoming offseason, it could be a focal point of discussion between league owners and their athletes.
Logistically, the easiest solution would be for the MLB to flex its All-Star week schedule to be in line with the Olympic Games, which are set to take place from July 14th until the 30th, a lengthy break, but one that the league would have to find hurdles to overcome.
Still, the league and the MLB Players Association would need to reach an agreement on the idea of players participating first, but MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes it can happen, and there has already been progress on that front.
“I think that we’re a lot closer to [an agreement] than the last time we talked about it,” Manfred said. “There are some issues with the MLBPA that we just need to resolve. I sense a lot of momentum towards playing in L.A. in 2028. I think we’re going to get over those issues.”
The counterargument for the MLB is that the game has the World Baseball Classic, created in 2006 as a preseason international tournament that wasn’t taken seriously by many players, especially from the United States, until this past year.
Still, even with Team USA adding multiple superstar players led by New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge, many view the Olympics as much bigger, including All-Star first baseman and two-time National League Most Valuable Player Award winner Bryce Harper.
“Yes, absolutely and I’ve spoken to numerous people in MLBabout it,” he said. “I would love to be part of that. We have the WBC but it’s not the same. People can say as much as they want but the Olympics is so worldwide. The WBC is great and brings a lot of people together, but the Olympics is something you dream about playing in. If I have a chance to put my nation’s colors on and represent as I did at 18 and 16 then I would love it.”
Even as players prepare to play in the upcoming WBC, we cannot overlook what occurred at the Olympic stage, and Major League Baseball would benefit from a historic opportunity to have a serious chance to win a Gold Medal on its home turf in a game that defines American history.
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