With Aaron Judge being announced as the captain for the 2026 World Baseball Classic USA Team, there could be a few Philadelphia Phillies players who join him.
Notably, Bryce Harper would be the player the USA Team would love to have, but it might not be as easy to get him on the team as it seems.
Harper, who has represented the country during his career, appearing on the 18U and 16U National Team back in the day, had some concerning comments for Team USA fans who want him on the roster.
“We’ll see,” Harper said Wednesday, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Harper later added that the Olympics are the goal, with MLB players potentially joining the Olympic Games during the 2028 event.
“The Olympics is the goal,” Harper said.
It remains uncertain whether Major League Baseball will allow players to participate in the 2028 Olympics, as the league would have to interrupt the season for a few weeks to accommodate the event.
Harper didn’t say when he expects to make a decision, but added that he just wants to figure out how the remainder of the season goes. His focus is on the Phillies winning a World Series before he decides what he’ll do outside of his contract with Philadelphia.
“I just want to figure out this year,” he said, “and we’ll go from there.”
From a fan’s perspective, even non-Phillies fans, Harper would be excellent to have on the USA Team. Still a top 10 player in Major League
Baseball, he’d be the best first baseman Team USA could run out there, and would help the team accomplish its goal of winning the tournament.
