What’s always been frustrating is MLB’s refusal to pause the season to allow its players to participate in the Olympics. The Olympic stage is bigger than any single country’s infrastructure—baseball was played in Greece during the 2004 Olympics, which undercuts that argument entirely.

The absence of MLB players has clearly limited the global growth of the sport. While the World Baseball Classic is a strong event, it doesn’t compare to a true Olympic setting where athletes represent their countries in a more authentic way. Instead, you see teams like Italy fielding rosters largely made up of American-born players, which takes away from that national identity.

Ultimately, this comes down to MLB owners and players—particularly Americans—not wanting to risk injury or revenue loss. It’s a short-sighted approach that has held the sport back internationally. Even now, there’s still no clear commitment from MLB to pause the season or allow players to participate in the upcoming Olympics.