MLB star Bryce Harper wants to compete in the Olympics before his playing career is over.
Major League Baseball players are currently unable to compete in the Olympic Games.
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Harper is pushing for MLB to consider a rule change to allow for a summer Olympic break, similar to how the WNBA and NHL have Olympic breaks.
The U.S. team typically includes minor leaguers and retired major leaguers.
While in London for the MLB international series, Harper made it clear he wants to compete with an Olympic team before retiring.
The Summer Olympics will return to the US in 2028 in Los Angeles, and baseball will be an official sport after its first real run this year (it was played in 2020 as a test run).
“There’s nothing more global than the Olympics,” Harper said in London.
“I watch the most random sports at the Olympics because it’s the Olympics, and that’s really cool. I love hockey.
“It’s one of my favorite sports to watch. Seeing (the NHL) take that three-week break and let these guys play, that’s another big goal we should have as Major League Baseball.
“I talked to several people at MLB about this. I would love to be part of that.
“We have the (World Baseball Classic), but it’s not the same. It’s not. The Olympics is something you dream about playing in.”
Current MLB rules state that only amateurs and major league players who are not on a team’s 40-man roster can play in the Olympics.
This means that the best baseball players in the USA are not able to represent the country.
The last Summer Olympics had a roster made up of names like Edwin Jackson and Todd Frazier, two former big league players who were already in their prime at the time.
Yet, despite not having any major league players, Team USA still took home the silver medal.
They fell to Japan in the gold medal match, while Japan pauses its league to compete in the Olympics.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Kodai Senga were pitchers for the team before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, respectively.
Five Major MLB Rule Changes in 2024
1. The pitch clock is reduced from 20 to 18 seconds with runners on base. It will remain at 15 seconds with the bases empty.
2. When a pitching change is made, the inning clock will reset to 2:00 instead of 2:15 as happened last year.
3. Teams will only be able to visit four mounds per game in 2024, compared to five last season.
4. Fielders and fielders who block bases will be cited for obstruction by the umpires.
5. The runners’ lane from home plate to first base has been widened to include the dirt between the grass and the white line.
Harper will be 35 when the 2028 Olympics arrive, likely his last chance to play internationally.
He was supposed to play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic but had to sit out after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Team USA lost in the tournament championship game to Japan once again in the WBC.
Harper has some experience in international play, playing on the U.S. U16 team in 2008 and the U18 team in 2009.
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