Major League Baseball has been in talks for the past year about participating in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and if players are allowed to compete, SF would likely be chosen to host that summer’s All-Star Game at Oracle Park.
As the Chronicle first reported last year, the 2028 All-Star Game will likely be held at Oracle Park in San Francisco, hinging on whether Major League Baseball and the Players Association can reach an agreement on sending players to the Los Angeles Olympics.
If they do, Oracle Park is widely viewed as the front-runner because the league reportedly wants a West Coast host for the All-Star Game that would make travel to Los Angeles easier. And MLB reportedly wants to avoid scheduling the event in Southern California while the Olympics are underway, and given that SF hasn’t hosted the All-Star Game since 2007, it has an edge over other West Coast cities — Seattle and San Diego, which hosted the game in 2023 and 2016 respectively.
The Chronicle reported Tuesday that MLB and the Players Association are still in the early stages of negotiating how Olympic participation would work, including travel, accommodations, insurance, and scheduling. The union is also working with the LA 2028 organizing committee on issues including player ticket allotments, social media policies, and intellectual property rights.
One major sticking point is MLB's proposal to require players selected for the Olympics to participate or face discipline. MLB Players Association chief Bruce Meyer said players want the opportunity to compete but called the proposed penalties “extreme.” The Chronicle reports in a separate article that healthy players who decline an Olympic selection could face fines or suspensions and would be ineligible to play for the first 14 days after the Olympic break, though exemptions would apply for injuries, health and safety concerns, and family emergencies.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league views the Olympics as “a unique opportunity to market the sport with our very, very best players,” arguing that if MLB is going to interrupt its season, it wants its biggest stars on the field.
According to the Solano County Reporter, the league's current proposal reportedly calls for an 11-day All-Star break to accommodate both events. The US, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic have already qualified for the six-team Olympic baseball tournament, with one spot each reserved for Asia and Europe/Oceania and the final berth to be decided in a qualifying tournament.
Prior to San Francisco’s last All-Star Game in 2007, the city hosted earlier editions at Candlestick Park in 1961 and 1984.
Related: SF Giants to Open MLB’s 2026 Season Against New York Yankees at Oracle Park Wednesday
Image: Fans float in McCovey Cove during the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Work Out Day at AT&T Park on July 9, 2007 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
