Bryce Harper Says He Wants In On Baseball's Return To The Olympics

Baseball is headed back to the Olympic Games in 2028, and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper says he wants to represent the United States.

Baseball and Softball were two of six sports that were officially given the go-ahead to debut (or re-debut) at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Both sports were added as a package deal.

The other four were cricket, lacrosse, squash, and the ever-intriguing addition of flag football.

Harper talked about his excitement about Baseball's Olympic return in an interview with ESPN.

"My wife actually had a hair appointment this morning and she texted me 'Happy Birthday' with that," Harper said. "She said, 'Hey, I guess one of your birthday wishes forever got .' I'm going to be old at that point, so I don't know if they're going to want me on the team, but it's always a dream. I think it's everyone's dream to be in the Olympics, especially coming here."

Representing the United States at an Olympic Games held in the United States? Does it get any better than that?

Japan won gold at Baseball's one-off return to the Olympics at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Will MLB Even Let Big Leaguers Like Harper Play In The Olympics?

Harper will be nearly 36 years old when the games get underway. That is far from too old to make the Team USA roster. The biggest hurdle with him participating will likely be whether or not he can get time away from his day job as a Major Leaguer.

While professionals are allowed to compete at the Olympics, the MLB has traditionally not let players compete. That's not surprising as the Games take place smack in the middle of the league's season.

No one wants to lose out on a playoff run because their best players took a two-week hiatus to play in the Olympics.

Unless, of course, the entire league takes one; something the NHL used to do until it stopped sending its players ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Baseball appeared at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo as a one-time addition, after previously being dropped after the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Before that, baseball appeared at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as an exhibition sport. It was back for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, only this time as a demonstration sport (apparently there's a distinction).

It made its official debut at the Madrid Olympics in 1992.

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