In a world where Mark DeRosa isn't the manager of the U.S. baseball team, Canada would have faced a different opponent in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, and the outcome might have been different.
Well, this is just fiction, because DeRosa—as eccentric as he may be—is firmly in his position, and the Americans have eliminated the Canadians to face Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his Dominican teammates in the semifinals of the 2026 Classic.
Let's briefly revisit DeRosa's decisions that could have cost his team—and the entire country—dearly. Before facing the Italians, the manager of the U.S. Dream Team believed his team had already qualified for the next round and decided to rest a few players from his lineup. But the Italians, fired up and ready to go, came out swinging against the American team, winning the game 8-6. They subsequently dominated the Mexicans to finish first in their group, forcing a Canada-USA matchup in the quarterfinals—and we all know how that turned out.
Despite the U.S. victory, DeRosa isn't off the hook, as reporters covering the team's activities remind him daily that he may not deserve to manage such a powerful squad, believing that fate will crown his teammates and do the rest of the work. No, the Americans aren't out of the woods yet, because the Dominicans are on a mission and have no intention of stopping their celebrations every time one of their own hits a long ball.
DeRosa hasn't proven he deserves to lead this team, even though he loudly proclaims his pride in being at the helm of a squad made up of players who are larger than life and how that passion gives him a healthy dose of courage. Even though he admits he was wrong (he made matters worse by trying to justify himself while getting his team's record wrong at the time), a doubt will linger in people's minds that he might not have been the right person to steer this ship to safe harbor.
Fortunately for him, Aaron Judge is determined to win the championship at all costs and will do whatever it takes to get there, but he's not the one in charge (until proven otherwise), as doubts must also linger in the players' own minds.
The manager of the American team—who was also there in 2023—faces a mountain of pressure and will be held accountable if his team fails to finish the job; ultimately, he will have deserved the criticism. If, on the other hand, the Americans emerge victorious, public attention will shift to the players' performance, and DeRosa will be able to quietly return to his life as an analyst.
Mark DeRosa had a 16-season career in the Majors, but the chances that people will remember him as a player are negligible compared to what is likely to happen over the next few days. Good luck, Mark.
PMLB
Major League Baseball was keen to highlight Canada's recent losses.
/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-tor.buminteractif.com%2F2026%2F03%2Fe910d3cf-2e57-443d-a86c-7ce07b608eb1.jpg)
—
@Sportsnet
@FAN590 pic.twitter.com/b6yCe2FGFb — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 14, 2026
(@baseballhall) March 13, 2026
pic.twitter.com/YGEpp0Idw5 — Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 14, 2026
