Bud Selig, former Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner and long-time advocate for a salary cap, reiterated his support for implementing such a measure amid ongoing labor tensions in the league. Speaking during the World Series, Selig, 92, emphasized the need for a salary cap to address economic concerns within the sport, despite the measure’s controversial history.

Selig, who was part of the ceremonial first pitch at Game 1 of the 2026 World Series, commented on the successful appearance of the Milwaukee Brewers, his former team, now competing against the Tampa Bay Rays. While expressing enthusiasm for the Brewers’ achievement, Selig took the opportunity to underscore his continued belief in the necessity of a salary cap as a mechanism to maintain financial balance across MLB clubs.

“I try to stay away from this subject, but I will say this to you: We need a cap,” Selig said in an interview, signaling alignment with current commissioner Rob Manfred’s stance amid escalating labor negotiations that could lead to a lockout.

Selig’s advocacy for a salary cap dates back more than three decades. Notably, in 1994, as interim commissioner, he canceled the remainder of that season’s World Series following a players’ strike aimed at preventing the introduction of a salary cap. The event marked a significant and contentious moment in MLB’s labor history, with lasting implications for league dynamics and player-owner relations.

The renewed call for a salary cap comes at a time when MLB is confronting potential labor disruptions, with owners and players at an impasse over financial structures and competitive balance. Industry observers have noted the irony in Selig’s position, given the 1994 strike was driven by players’ efforts to resist a salary cap, a fight that ultimately resulted in the loss of postseason play that year.

Opponents of the cap argue that recent developments, including the participation of two small-market teams, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, in the World Series, demonstrate that the league’s current system supports competitive parity without the need for drastic financial controls. This perspective suggests that the sport’s ecosystem may be functioning effectively under existing economic frameworks.

Selig’s comments reaffirm a key point in the ongoing debate over MLB’s financial future: whether a salary cap is essential to ensuring competitive balance and financial sustainability or an unnecessary constraint that could undermine players’ earning potential and contract freedom.

As discussions between MLB owners and the players’ association continue, the outcome remains uncertain. Selig’s return to the public conversation on this issue highlights the enduring complexities of labor relations in professional baseball, as the league seeks to navigate both tradition and the evolving economic realities of the sport.