Bryce Harper Eyes Playing for USA in 2028 LA Olympics After WBC Loss, 'I Really Hope So'
Bryce Harper is hoping Team USA's championship game loss to Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic won't be his last time representing the United States on the international stage.
Hours after Venezuela's 3-2 win on Tuesday night in Miami, Harper told reporters he hoped to play for Team USA during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
"I hope so. I really do. I really hope so," Harper said about his Olympic participation.
MLB has not yet confirmed if players will be allowed to participate in the upcoming Summer Olympics, although commissioner Rob Manfred said in February he sensed "a lot of momentum towards playing in LA."
Harper gave Team USA hope of a comeback Tuesday night with a game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The lead was short-lived. Eugenio Suárez hit a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth before Daniel Palencia forced Kyle Schwarber and Roman Anthony into swinging strikeouts to close out Venezuela's win.
Harper, who finished the WBC having gone 6-for-28 at the plate with one double, a home run and three RBI, indicated early in the tournament he had eye on representing the United States in the Olympics.
"Obviously the WBC is great, but it's not the Olympics," Harper said on March 6 before a pool play matchup with Brazil (h/t USA Today's Bob Nightengale). "That's no disrespect to the WBC or anything. But everybody knows when the Olympics are on, everybody is watching."
Harper continued, saying: "I hope LA '28 happens. I'm hoping the next CBA agreement can happen where teams and players can come to an agreement on taking that two-week break, especially it being in our home country. It would be great for baseball."
Those comments came early in a tournament that ended up drawing historic audience numbers, including a USA-Dominican Republic semifinal that set a WBC record with more than 7.3 million viewers.
There are a few obstacles in the way of MLB players potentially attending the Olympics, one of which includes insurance coverage. Clubs being unwilling to grant insurance coverage to players for out-of-season tournaments was the reason some stars like Francisco Lindor were not permitted to participate in the WBC.
Another concern is upcoming negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and MLBPA, which is currently set to expire on Dec. 1. Acting MLBPA head Bruce Meyer said Sunday any lockout or work stoppage that delays the start of the 2027 season "could have an impact on playing the Olympics after that."
The 2028 Olympics will feature a six-team baseball tournament. Half of the field has already been filled by Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, which qualified through the WBC, and the United States, which gets an automatic slot as the host nation.
Whether Harper and other MLB stars are able to seek redemption for Team USA in that tournament could depend on upcoming CBA negotiations, which are set to start in April or May, according to Meyer.
