Harper ahead of WBC debut: 'It's not the Olympics'

Bryce Harper is thrilled to be representing his country in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but he considers the tournament a stepping stone toward an even bigger stage.

"Obviously the WBC is great, but it's not the Olympics," the American superstar told Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Friday before Team USA's WBC opener against Brazil. "That's no disrespect to the WBC or anything. But everybody knows when the Olympics are on, everybody is watching. Doesn't matter what sport it is. It could be the most random sport, and it has all of the fans watching it."

Baseball is returning to the Olympics in 2028, when Los Angeles hosts the Summer Games. The sport hasn't been contested at the Olympics since 2020, and it could be a one-off event. The International Olympic Committee added baseball and softball as "optional" sports on account of their popularity in the United States, as it did in 2020, when Tokyo hosted.

Baseball was a regular Olympic sport from 1992-2008. While professionals from Japan and Korea often participated in past Olympics, MLB never allowed its players to participate, with the exception of minor-leaguers who weren't on 40-man rosters.

Many MLB players have publicly expressed their desire to play in the 2028 Olympics. Commissioner Rob Manfred is open to the idea as well, saying in February that he's optimistic it will happen. To do so, the league would have to schedule a midseason break in July, with the Olympic tournament essentially replacing that year's All-Star Game.

The players and owners would also have to agree to such a break in the next collective bargaining agreement. Harper, who's set to play in his first WBC, believes that allowing MLB players to take part in the Olympics would give the sport an even grander stage.

"I hope LA28 happens," Harper said. "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. You talk about growing the game, and being able to grow it at the highest level would help out tremendously."

Unlike the 20-team WBC, the next Summer Games will feature a six-team tournament. The WBC is acting as a partial qualifier for the event, with Olympic berths being awarded to the top two teams from the Americas based on the overall standings (excluding Team USA, which automatically qualifies as the host nation).

Japan beat the U.S. to win gold at the 2020 Olympics, while the Dominican Republic took home bronze.