2028 Olympics: Baseball Rosters Remain Uncertain

This brings up the topic of potential rosters for the event.

Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed openness to the idea of allowing major leaguers to participate, but past issues may pose challenges. Baseball faced exclusion after the 2008 Games, made a comeback in 2021 in Japan, and was excluded again in the recent Paris Games.

The sport will return for the Los Angeles Games in four years. In the Tokyo Olympics, Major League Baseball allowed players not on 40-man rosters to participate, while teams restricted many eligible prospects. The risk of injury is real, as demonstrated by Edwin Díaz’s serious injury at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Therefore, the 2021 U.S. team was led by some familiar faces like Todd Frazier and Edwin Jackson, along with promising newcomers Tristan Casas and Shane Baz. However, the roster failed to generate much excitement.

A possible compromise could be to exclude active major leaguers from the Olympics but allow top prospects who have not reached the majors to participate. This approach could resemble the All-Star Futures Game but on a tournament scale.

In 2000, future MLB player Ben Sheets led the U.S. to a gold medal by shutting out a strong Cuban team. Today, fans have easier access to top prospects. If baseball were included in the 2024 Games, showcasing the best minor leaguers could make the U.S. team quite formidable with players like Dylan Crews and Marcelo Mayer, both top prospects as per MLB Pipeline rankings.

While these prospects may not be household names for casual Olympic viewers, passionate baseball fans might find new favorites. However, the success of such a team remains uncertain. Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball team interrupted its season in 2021, contributing to their victory over the U.S. for the gold medal.

With the U.S. hosting the Olympics in four years, the baseball tournament presents a significant opportunity, but the players, owners, and Manfred must collaborate to determine the best approach.

Who managed the U.S. baseball team to gold in 2000?

Kyle Schwarber’s impressive performance with three home runs and seven RBIs led the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers last Wednesday. Although the Phillies won the series against the National League powerhouse, they struggled in subsequent games, losing 16 of their last 23 matches.

Following their success against the Dodgers, the Phillies faced a setback by losing three of their next four games to Arizona.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ game against the Dodgers was a strong contender for the comeback of the week, as they trailed 4-1 in the fifth inning. However, the Colorado Rockies staged an impressive comeback on Sunday, scoring seven runs in the eighth inning to defeat Atlanta 9-8. Despite a 99.5% win probability for the Braves, the Rockies clinched a surprising victory with key plays from Jake Cave, Charlie Blackmon, Ryan McMahon, and Brendan Rodgers.

Atlanta’s recent struggles include seven losses in eight games, with only a half-game lead over the New York Mets for the National League’s final wild card spot.

Tommy Lasorda managed the U.S. baseball team to gold in 2000. In 2021, one of Lasorda’s former players, Mike Scioscia, nearly led the U.S. to another gold medal.