Who to watch in the five new Olympic sports at LA28

Baseball/Softball

Baseball and softball have already enjoyed being on the Olympic stage, and now they’re making a comeback. Baseball will be played in a city where it once debuted as a demonstration sport, while softball heads to its venue in Oklahoma City, the premier softball-specific ballpark in the United States.

At the elite level, two nations dominate the conversation: Japan and the United States. At Tokyo 2020, host nation Japan swept both gold medals, men’s baseball and women’s softball, cementing their place as the team to beat.

Can Japanese superstar pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, strike out his Los Angeles Angels' rival Mike Trout again, like he did to clinch the 2023 World Baseball Classic? If the stars align at LA28, fans might just get a Hollywood sequel.

But should they square off again under the Olympic lights, the home-field advantage will be in the gloves of the Americans.

The Olympic history of men's baseball tells a similar story of shifting powers. Cuba captured three of the first four official Olympic baseball titles, with the Republic of Korea, the Dominican Republic, and Chinese Taipei all boasting strong pedigrees.

Meanwhile, Mexico and Venezuela continue to rise in prominence, and Europe is making quiet but meaningful progress, with Great Britain, Czechia, and the Netherlands increasingly competitive on the world stage.

Outside the Olympics, the sport’s premier international competition is the World Baseball Classic. Here, Japan's men reign supreme, having won a record three titles (2006, 2009, 2023). The Dominican Republic (2013) and the United States (2017) have also lifted the trophy, while Puerto Rico, the Republic of Korea, and Cuba remain top-tier threats, each having reached multiple finals or semi-finals.

In softball, the Americans have won three Olympic titles and an unmatched 12 Women’s Softball World Cup trophies. The United States has ruled the softball diamond for decades, but Japan, now with four Women’s Softball World Cup titles, has emerged once again as their greatest rival, clinching the most recent championship in 2024.

But it’s not just the USA and Japan in the mix. Nations like Canada, Chinese Taipei, Italy, and the People’s Republic of China are pushing ever closer to the summit, while Australia and New Zealand bring decades of tradition and a deep competitive spirit to the softball field.

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