After the success of the World Baseball Classic and amid discourse of moving the tournament to the summer, Rob Manfred admitted the league has had discussions of adding a midseason tournament.
“Obviously we have commitments to Fox in terms of the All-Star Game in the middle of the season through ’28,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday during an interview with The Associated Press. “As the game continues to evolve, we have talked about midseason tournaments in general. And certainly if we decided to get serious about this, about a midseason tournament, this would be an ideal opportunity.”
The World Baseball Classic currently takes place during spring training, and limitations placed on pitchers have raised questions about whether the tournament needs to be moved.
While moving the tournament may lift pitch count restrictions, there’s no guarantee the best pitchers will suddenly want to play or that they will be healthy in the middle of the season.
Midseason tournaments are not a new concept, and MLB would simply be the latest league to implement them. The NBA has the NBA Cup, which, unlike a traditional midseason tournament, runs alongside the regular season until the championship game.
What Manfred discussed is more like the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, which replaced the All-Star Game in 2025. The 4 Nations Face-Off was a massive success, and MLB may benefit from hosting its own international tournament in the middle of the season.
The All-Star Game has already drawn criticism for pitchers not being available, so trying something new could not hurt. However, for the tournament to mean something, the best players would have to be available to represent their countries. This could mean extending the All-Star break to make sure pitchers are available to pitch without throwing off their routine.
An international midseason tournament would give baseball fans a mini taste of the World Baseball Classic while they await the next edition of the tournament, which takes place every three or four years.
The conversation about moving the World Baseball Classic itself to the middle of the season is an entirely different one. However, if MLB were to host a midseason tournament that ends up being a success, moving the World Baseball Classic suddenly becomes more feasible.
The league may not want to mess with its ever-so-delicate schedule that baseball purists seem to stand by. However, international events draw fan attention and more player interest than an All-Star Game. Extending the All-Star Break, or shortening the season to accommodate such events, would ultimately help grow the game more than sticking to the current schedule.
Photo: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks prior to Game 2 of baseball’s World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
