# List of Olympic medalists in baseball

Baseball is a sport formerly contested at the Summer Olympic Games. It was originally played as a demonstration sport in seven Olympics—1912, 1936, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1984, and 1988— more than for any other sport in Olympic history. These exhibitions featured a single game at the first five Olympic appearances and then a tournament format in 1984 and 1988. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted baseball official status on October 13, 1986, for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The sport was contested at each subsequent Games through 2008, after which the IOC removed it from the roster of Olympic sports.
In 1992, the first official Olympic baseball tournament was won by the Cuban team. Cuba had boycotted the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, missing the previous exhibition baseball tournaments, but entered in 1992 as the favorite, having won the past 12 world championships and with a 62–1 record in international competitions since 1986. The Cubans went undefeated in the 1992 Olympics and trailed in only one game. They went undefeated again at the 1996 Olympics en route to a second consecutive gold medal. The United States won their first medal (bronze) in the 1996 Olympics and then won gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics. 2000 was the first Olympics in which Cuba lost a game: first to the Dutch team in round-robin play and then again to the Americans in the gold medal game. This was also the first time professional players were allowed to compete in baseball, though Major League Baseball (MLB) did not permit any player on the 40-man roster of an MLB team to compete. In 2004, the reigning gold medalist United States did not qualify for the Olympic tournament, while the Cuban team won its third gold medal.
In 2005, the IOC investigated the addition of sports to the Olympic schedule including golf, rugby sevens, and karate. The IOC voted on July 8, 2005, to remove baseball and softball from the 2012 Summer Olympics roster, the first sports removed from the Olympics since polo in 1936. A variety of factors were cited for removing baseball including the absence of MLB players, problems with performance-enhancing drugs, and the high cost of constructing a baseball stadium. Appeals to reinstate both sports for 2012 were rejected. Baseball was still played at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, however, and the South Korean team beat Cuba to claim their first gold medal in the event. The international governing bodies of several sports, including baseball, petitioned the IOC in 2009 to fill two sport slots at the 2016 Olympics. IOC President Jacques Rogge said they were "looking for an added value – wide appeal, especially for young people." The IOC ultimately voted to fill the two available slots for 2016 with rugby and golf. However, the IOC ultimately approved the return of baseball and softball to the Olympic program for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2016.
Baseball was open only to male amateurs in 1992 and 1996. As a result, the Americans and other nations where professional baseball is developed relied on collegiate players, while Cubans used their most experienced veterans, who technically were considered amateurs as they nominally held other jobs, but in fact trained full-time. In 2000, pros were admitted, but MLB refused to release its players in 2000, 2004, and 2008, and the situation changed only a little: the Cubans still used their best players, while the Americans started using minor leaguers. The IOC cited the absence of the best players as the main reason for baseball being dropped from the Olympic program.
Cuba has been the most successful team, winning the most gold and silver medals and never finishing outside the podium. Cuban pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo is the most successful individual athlete, winning four medals—two gold and two silver—from 1996 to 2008. No American ever appeared in the Olympics more than once. Nine other Cuban players won three medals; no player from any other nation accomplished this feat. From the 25 athletes who won two medals in baseball, 18 were Cuban, while the remaining seven included 4 South Korean and 3 Japanese players.

## Medal winners

| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1992 Barcelona details | Cuba (CUB) Omar Ajete Rolando Arrojo José Raúl Delgado Diez Giorge Diaz Loren Osvaldo Fernández José Estrada González Lourdes Gourriel Orlando Hernández Alberto Hernández Orestes Kindelán Omar Linares Germán Mesa Víctor Mesa Antonio Pacheco Juan Padilla Luis Ulacia Ermidelio Urrutia Jorge Luis Valdés Lázaro Vargas | Chinese Taipei (TPE) Chang Cheng-Hsien Chang Wen-Chung Chang Yaw-Teing Chen Chi-Hsin Chen Wei-Chen Chiang Tai-Chuan Huang Chung-Yi Huang Wen-Po Jong Yeu-Jeng Ku Kuo-Chian Kuo Lee Chien-Fu Liao Ming-Hsiung Lin Chao-Huang Lin Kun-Han Lo Chen-Jung Lo Kuo-Chong Pai Kun-Hong Tsai Ming-Hung Wang Kuang-Shih Wu Shih-Hsih | Japan (JPN) Tomohito Ito Shinichiro Kawabata Masahito Kohiyama Hirotami Kojima Hiroki Kokubo Takashi Miwa Hiroshi Nakamoto Masafumi Nishi Kazutaka Nishiyama Koichi Oshima Hiroyuki Sakaguchi Shinichi Sato Yasuhiro Sato Masanori Sugiura Kento Sugiyama Yasunori Takami Akihiro Togo Koji Tokunaga Shigeki Wakabayashi Katsumi Watanabe |
| 1996 Atlanta details | Cuba (CUB) Omar Ajete Miguel Caldés Luis José Contreras Jorge Fumero José Estrada González Alberto Hernández Rey Isaac Orestes Kindelán Pedro Luis Lazo Omar Linares Omar Luis Juan Manrique Eliecer Montes de Oca Antonio Pacheco Juan Padilla Eduardo Paret Ormari Romero Antonio Scull Luis Ulacia Lázaro Vargas | Japan (JPN) Kosuke Fukudome Tadahito Iguchi Makoto Imaoka Takeo Kawamura Jutaro Kimura Takashi Kurosu Takao Kuwamoto Nobuhiko Matsunaka Koichi Misawa Masahiko Mori Masao Morinaka Daishin Nakamura Masahiro Nojima Hideaki Okubo Hitoshi Ono Yasuyuki Saigo Tomoaki Sato Masanori Sugiura Takayuki Takabayashi Yoshitomo Tani | United States (USA) Chad Allen Kris Benson R. A. Dickey Troy Glaus Chad Green Seth Greisinger Kip Harkrider A. J. Hinch Jacque Jones Billy Koch Mark Kotsay Matt Lecroy Travis Lee Braden Looper Brian Loyd Warren Morris Augie Ojeda Jim Parque Jeff Weaver Jason Williams |
| 2000 Sydney details | United States (USA) Brent Abernathy Kurt Ainsworth Pat Borders Sean Burroughs John Cotton Travis Dawkins Adam Everett Ryan Franklin Chris George Shane Heams Marcus Jensen Mike Kinkade Rick Krivda Doug Mientkiewicz Mike Neill Roy Oswalt Jon Rauch Anthony Sanders Bobby Seay Ben Sheets Brad Wilkerson Todd Williams Ernie Young Tim Young | Cuba (CUB) Omar Ajete Yovany Aragon Miguel Caldés Danel Castro José Contreras Yobal Dueñas Yasser Gómez José Ibar Orestes Kindelán Pedro Luis Lazo Omar Linares Oscar Macías Juan Manrique Javier Méndez Rolando Meriño Germán Mesa Antonio Pacheco Ariel Pestano Gabriel Pierre Maels Rodríguez Antonio Scull Luis Ulacia Lázaro Valle Norge Luis Vera | South Korea (KOR) Chong Tae-Hyon Chung Min-Tae Chung Soo-Keun Hong Sung-Heon Jang Sung-Ho Jin Pil-jung Kim Dong-Joo Kim Han-Soo Kim Ki-Tae Kim Soo-Kyung Kim Tae-gyun Koo Dae-Sung Lee Byung-Kyu Lee Seung-Ho Lee Seung-Yeop Lim Chang-Yong Lim Sun-Dong Park Jae-Hong Park Jin-Man Park Jong-Ho Park Kyung-Oan Park Seok-Jin Son Min-Han Song Jin-Woo |
| 2004 Athens details | Cuba (CUB) Danny Betancourt Luis Borroto Frederich Cepeda Yorelvis Charles Michel Enríquez Norberto González Yuli Gurriel Pedro Luis Lazo Roger Machado Jonder Martínez Frank Montieth Vicyohandri Odelín Adiel Palma Eduardo Paret Ariel Pestano Alexei Ramírez Eriel Sánchez Antonio Scull Carlos Tabares Yoandry Urgellés Osmani Urrutia Manuel Vega Norge Luis Vera | Australia (AUS) Craig Anderson Thomas Brice Adrian Burnside Gavin Fingleson Paul Gonzalez Nick Kimpton Brendan Kingman Craig Lewis Graeme Lloyd Dave Nilsson Trent Oeltjen Wayne Ough Chris Oxspring Brett Roneberg Ryan Rowland-Smith John Stephens Phil Stockman Brett Tamburrino Richard Thompson Andrew Utting Rodney Van Buizen Ben Wigmore Glenn Williams Jeff Williams | Japan (JPN) Ryoji Aikawa Yuya Ando Atsushi Fujimoto Kosuke Fukudome Hirotoshi Ishii Hisashi Iwakuma Hitoki Iwase Kenji Johjima Makoto Kaneko Takuya Kimura Masahide Kobayashi Hiroki Kuroda Daisuke Matsuzaka Daisuke Miura Shinya Miyamoto Arihito Muramatsu Norihiro Nakamura Michihiro Ogasawara Naoyuki Shimizu Yoshinobu Takahashi Yoshitomo Tani Koji Uehara Kazuhiro Wada Tsuyoshi Wada |
| 2008 Beijing details | South Korea (KOR) Bong Jung-Keun Chong Tae-hyon Han Ki-joo Jang Won-sam Jeong Keun-woo Jin Kab-yong Kang Min-ho Kim Dong-joo Kim Hyun-Soo Kim Kwang-hyun Park Jin-man Kim Min-jae Ko Young-min Kwon Hyuk Lee Dae-Ho Lee Jin-young Lee Jong-Wook Lee Seung-yeop Lee Taek-keun Lee Yong-kyu Oh Seung-hwan Ryu Hyun-Jin Song Seung-jun Yoon Suk-min | Cuba (CUB) Alexei Bell Frederich Cepeda Alfredo Despaigne Giorvis Duvergel Michel Enríquez Norberto González Yulieski Gourriel Miguel Lahera Pedro Luis Lazo Jonder Martínez Alexander Mayeta Rolando Meriño Luis Navas Héctor Olivera Vicyohandri Odelín Adiel Palma Eduardo Paret Yadier Pedroso Ariel Pestano Luis Rodríguez Elier Sánchez Eriel Sánchez Yoandry Urgellés Norge Luis Vera | United States (USA) Brett Anderson Jake Arrieta Brian Barden Matt Brown Trevor Cahill Jeremy Cummings Jason Donald Brian Duensing Dexter Fowler John Gall Mike Hessman Kevin Jepsen Brandon Knight Michael Koplove Matt LaPorta Lou Marson Blaine Neal Jayson Nix Nate Schierholtz Jeff Stevens Stephen Strasburg Taylor Teagarden Terry Tiffee Casey Weathers |
| 2012–2016 | Not included in the Olympic program | Not included in the Olympic program | Not included in the Olympic program |
| 2020 Tokyo details | Japan (JPN) Kōyō Aoyagi Suguru Iwazaki Masato Morishita Hiromi Itoh Yoshinobu Yamamoto Masahiro Tanaka Yasuaki Yamasaki Ryoji Kuribayashi Yūdai Ōno Kodai Senga Kaima Taira Ryutaro Umeno Takuya Kai Tetsuto Yamada Sōsuke Genda Hideto Asamura Ryosuke Kikuchi Hayato Sakamoto Munetaka Murakami Kensuke Kondo Yuki Yanagita Ryoya Kurihara Masataka Yoshida Seiya Suzuki | United States (USA) Shane Baz Anthony Carter Brandon Dickson Anthony Gose Edwin Jackson Scott Kazmir Nick Martinez Scott McGough David Robertson Joe Ryan Ryder Ryan Simeon Woods Richardson Tim Federowicz Mark Kolozsvary Nick Allen Eddy Alvarez Triston Casas Todd Frazier Jamie Westbrook Tyler Austin Eric Filia Patrick Kivlehan Jack López Bubba Starling | Dominican Republic (DOM) Darío Álvarez Gabriel Arias Jairo Asencio Luis Felipe Castillo Jumbo Díaz Junior García Jhan Mariñez Cristopher Mercedes Denyi Reyes Ramón Rosso Ángel Sánchez Raúl Valdés Roldani Baldwin Charlie Valerio José Bautista Juan Francisco Jeison Guzmán Erick Mejia Gustavo Núñez Emilio Bonifácio Melky Cabrera Johan Mieses Yefri Pérez Julio Rodríguez |
| 2024 | Not included in the Olympic program | Not included in the Olympic program | Not included in the Olympic program |
| 2028 Los Angeles details | | | |

## Athlete medal leaders

Athletes who won at least two gold medals or three total medals are listed below.
| Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Total | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Pedro Luis Lazo | Cuba (CUB) | 1996–2008 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Omar Ajete | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Orestes Kindelán | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Omar Linares | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Antonio Pacheco | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Eduardo Paret | Cuba (CUB) | 1996 2004–2008 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Antonio Scull | Cuba (CUB) | 1996 2004–2008 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Luis Ulacia | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Ariel Pestano | Cuba (CUB) | 2000–2008 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Norge Luis Vera | Cuba (CUB) | 2000–2008 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| José Estrada González | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Alberto Hernández | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Juan Padilla | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lázaro Vargas | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |