Tokyo Olympics 2020: Baseball, Softball Among Sports IOC Recommends to Be Added

Baseball and softball may reportedly be back in the Olympics soon. 

According to Matt Snyder of CBS Sports on Thursday, “the International Olympics Committee announced that it will recommend both sports be added in a vote by the general assembly in Rio de Janeiro this coming summer the night before the 2016 games begin.”

This news comes after the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC) said last June that it applied to be included in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

According to the Associated Press (via NBC Sports), IOC vice president John Coates said baseball and softball were part of a multi-sport “single package” that was approved on Wednesday (the others were surfing, karate, skateboarding and sport climbing).

Baseball became an Olympic medal sport in 1992, while softball followed in the next Summer Olympics in 1996. The IOC removed them both from the list of competitions after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Snyder pointed out the Olympic decision “will have very little impact on Major League Baseball” because its season will not end so the players can participate. He said the United States team will likely be made of primarily “non-prospect minor leaguers.”

Despite that assertion, the Associated Press noted the IOC still wants MLB players to play in Tokyo. IOC sports director Kitt McConnell said, “We’re pushing for confirmation regarding further progress on players from Major League Baseball being available.”

Cuba captured three of the five gold medals in baseball, with the United States and South Korea capturing the other two.

As for softball, the United States won the first three gold medals, while Japan beat the Americans in the gold-medal contest in the most recent Games, per NCAA.com.

Andre Khatchaturian of NESN said the proposal to include baseball and softball, along with the other sports, is a feature of the Olympic Agenda 2020 from the IOC. Khatchaturian described it as something that allows “host cities the option of suggesting new sports and events for inclusion in their edition of the Games.”