Two Philadelphia Phillies Named to 2028 Olympic Dream Team

Two players currently on the Philadelphia Phillies were named to a potential 2028 Olympic Dream team made up of MLB stars.

Jul 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrates hitting a two run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

A recent losing streak has brought the Philadelphia Phillies back to the pack in the MLB standings. They are still in first place in the National League East with a record of 65-43, but a four-game losing streak now has the Atlanta Braves only six games behind in the standings.

Every team will go through lulls throughout the marathon MLB season and that is what the Phillies are currently dealing with. Getting some new players acclimated to the team after the MLB trade deadline will also take a little while.

This is too talented of a team to not eventually bounce back. They didn’t build that early lead by accident, as they are legitimate World Series contenders.

It should come as no surprise then, given how good the team is, that two Philadelphia players have been mentioned in a unique piece by Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report. With the 2024 Summer Olympic Games going on in Paris right now, Rymer took a look ahead to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games that will be hosted in Los Angeles.

After a hiatus from this year’s games, baseball will be back in the Olympics in 2028. MLB players could be allowed to participate, which has led Rymer to put together the ultimate Dream Team including American-born ball players.

The first Phillies player mentioned is Bryce Harper, who was selected as the starting first baseman. Harper, who will be 35 when the 2028 Summer Games take place, barely made the cut-off of 36 years old for this exercise. 

“It's not quite optimal that Harper will be in his mid-30s when it comes time for the 2028 Olympics, but he's literally in a good position to stay healthy. Suffice it to say that first base is a less physically demanding role than his old haunt out in right field,” Rymer wrote.

It is something that he would love to do if given the opportunity.

"Yes, absolutely and I've spoken to numerous people in MLB about it," Harper star said a few weeks ago. "I would love to be part of that. We have the [World Baseball Classic] but it's not the same."

Joining Harper on this hypothetical Dream Team is relief pitcher Orion Kerkering. In his first full season as a major league pitcher, Kerkering is cementing himself as one of the better bullpen arms in the game.

“As for Kerkering, well, he's the upside play here. He already has an impressive resume, with a notable part being that he's faced 177 hitters in the majors and has yet to allow a home run,” Rymer wrote.

In 43.2 career innings, Kerkering has recorded an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 1.099. He has given up only 13 runs, 11 of which were earned, and struck out 51.