The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are ending soon, and baseball wasn’t included this year.
Baseball and softball will make a comeback in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Big-league players are pushing hard to participate, but currently, MLB players on 40-man rosters can’t join the Olympics.
Bryce Harper and Shohei Ohtani have already voiced their support for MLB players in the 2028 games. Now, Aaron Judge has also expressed his desire to play if given the chance. “I’d love to play. If they give us the opportunity — I don’t know what the ruling or anything has come out about that — but I’m all in on that,” Judge told the New York Post. “… There’s very few opportunities to get to do that and especially, hopefully, in the prime of my career where I can still do it and make an impact, I’d love to.”
Aaron Judge’s Stellar Performance
Judge is having a fantastic season with a .321 batting average and leading MLB with 41 home runs as of Saturday. Compared to his MVP year in 2022 when he had 46 home runs by this time, his power is slightly down but still incredible. His batting average and on-base percentage have improved too.
Fans might wonder if Judge will still be at his peak by 2028 since he’ll be 36 then. Aging can affect performance, but exceptional talents like Judge sometimes defy these trends.
Interestingly, Judge declined an invitation to play for Team USA at last season’s World Baseball Classic. He said his main focus was bringing a championship back to New York after signing a nine-year contract.
Commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned during the All-Star break that he’s open-minded about sending MLB players to the Olympics in 2028. However, there are logistical challenges like what happens with the regular MLB season during that time.
Japan paused its Nippon Professional Baseball league during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 so top players could compete; Japan won gold .
There won’t be a better opportunity for MLB players than Los Angeles in 2028 due to easier travel compared to Paris or Brisbane (2032). The World Baseball Classic is fun, but playing in the Olympics brings unique prestige .
What do you think? Should MLB pause its season for players like Aaron Judge to compete in future Olympic games?
