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Team USA's hopes for a second-ever World Baseball Classic crown came crashing down on Tuesday night. The Americans, widely considered tournament favorites ahead of the competition, fell 3-2 to the Venezuelans in the final.
For all of the United States' huffing and puffing, it remains without tournament hardware since 2017. Back-to-back final appearances are nice. But the U.S. has proven unable to get over the line under Mark DeRosa's tutelage.
DeRosa, 51, might be a popular figure in the dugout. But his tactical nous — or lack thereof — has drawn scrutiny in the tournament. What could happen to his post — and the rest of the USA setup — after another disappointing championship game loss?
Here's what you need to know.
MORE: Star-studded USA lineup comes up short in loss to Venezuela
Will USA Baseball fire Mark DeRosa?
DeRosa's performance at the 2026 WBC left a lot to be desired. The Americans put forth uneven displays throughout the tournament, struggling to produce runs and protect their mighty rotation and bullpen.
Those toils popped up again in the final. Despite facing a Venezuela bullpen that played one game earlier, USA was unable to conjure up run support. That's not all on DeRosa. But he made a fair few curious decisions in the lead-up to the contest, dropping semifinals hero Gunnar Henderson in favor of Alex Bregman and giving Byron Buxton and Will Smith starts over Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cal Raleigh, respectively.
Those choices didn't work -- Bregman, Buxton and Smith failed to reach base during the matchup. Omar Lopez, a veteran big-league coach known for making tactical adjustments, was far more proactive, swapping Luis Arraez for Javier Sanoja in the top of the ninth. Sanoja proceeded to swipe second before coming around for the game-winning run.
DeRosa looked out of his depth at times. He appeared to forget the tournament's tiebreaker rules ahead of the United States' final pool play game against Italy -- a mistake that could have cost the Americans dearly. He and his staff also lack experience coaching at the professional level. The same couldn't be said for most sides in the tournament.
MORE: How did Venezuela win the WBC?
The United States fancies itself the world's preeminent baseball power. Two runner-up finishes in the WBC indicate that isn't the case. Perhaps a fresh face in the dugout could aid the Americans as they look to reassert themselves as the sport's finest producer of talent.
Which Team USA players could return for the 2028 Olympics?
While the WBC will surely leave a sour taste in Team USA's mouth, there's still plenty of bright spots in the U.S.'s setup. Players like Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Mason Miller, Logan Webb and Nolan McLean should all get the chance to don the United States colors once more in 2028, should their development continue to go as planned.
The same can be said for many of Team USA's hitters. Raleigh and Smith are arguably MLB's two best backstops, while Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber all project to continue to produce at a high level in their early 30s. Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. lead the next generation of U.S. stars, taking their place on the mantle alongside Roman Anthony, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brice Turang.
MORE: How Eugenio Suarez's big hit willed Venezuela to WBC title
Which players not currently on Team USA could be part of 2028 Olympics?
Team USA's roster was star-laden in 2026. There are even more players who could be added to its ranks ahead of the 2028 Games.
Corbin Carroll was perhaps the biggest miss in the United States setup, missing out on the WBC. due to a fractured hamate bone in his right hand. He ranked joint eighth in fWAR last year and has the batting chops and base-running vigor to cause issues for opposition defenses.
Nick Kurtz enjoyed a splendid rookie season, posting an OPS above 1.000 en route to a unanimous NL Rookie of the Year win. Only time will tell if he can recreate his performance in the years to come. But if he's posting OPS figures above .900, it will be hard to deny him a spot on the plane in Los Angeles.
Team USA's rotation is harrowing. It could add more talent into its collection in the form of Garrett Crochet, who has ranked as one of MLB's finest hurlers in his past two seasons. At just 26 years old, the Red Sox ace seems more than capable of taking the ball for the United States down the line.
MORE: Inside the 9th-inning safe all that helped Venezuela win the WBC
Other players who could play themselves into consideration with strong performances include Adley Rutschman, Hunter Greene, Kyle Tucker and Wyatt Langford.
Are MLB players allowed to play in the Olympics? (Probably yes, but not officially confirmed.)
At present, it's unclear for certain if big-leaguers will be allowed to compete for gold at the 2028 Olympics. The IOC hasn't yet confirmed MLB players' participation in the spectacle. Neither has MLB, which needs to reach an agreement with the MLB Players Association before announcing any future Olympic plans.
While things remain a bit murky, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred expressed optimism over the prospect of the league's best talents suiting up for the national teams under the Olympic rings.
“I think that we’re a lot closer to [an agreement] than the last time we talked about it,” Manfred said, per MLB.com. “There are some issues with the MLBPA that we just need to resolve. I sense a lot of momentum towards playing in L.A. in 2028. I think we’re going to get over those issues.”
Big-leaguers have never taken the stage in Olympic competition -- at least not while they're playing in MLB. The 1984 Games featured a host of future MLB luminaries, including Will Clark, Barry Larkin and Mark McGwire. Witt's father, Bobby Witt Sr., also turned out for the U.S. side, which took silver in the competition.
Forty-two years on, Manfred is confident MLB's best and brightest players will bask under the Olympic glow once more.
“I think people have come to appreciate that the Olympics on U.S. soil is a unique marketing opportunity for the game,” Manfred said. “I think we’ve got a lot of players interested in doing it and I feel pretty good about the idea that we’ll get there.”
When is the next World Baseball Classic?
The next World Baseball Classic will take place in 2030. The competition went through some awkward scheduling in the turn of the decade, with the 2021 iteration of the competition pushed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, the tournament has ran every three-to-four years, with MLB appearing to embrace the four-year model popularized in the Olympics and World Cup as of late.
It's unclear where the tournament will take place, although it seems very possible that games will be held in a variety of different countries.
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