Pete Crow-Armstrong could help write Mark DeRosa's redemption story in the WBC

Despite the loss, Pete Crow-Armstrong turned in a monster performance on Wednesday night against Italy, clubbing a pair of home runs in a valiant comeback effort that wound up falling short.

We've all heard about the media firestorm surrounding former Chicago Cubs infielder and Team USA manager Mark DeRosa, who has adamantly defended himself in recent days - but it's still safe to say nobody was more relieved to see Italy beat Mexico and propel the US into the WBC quarterfinals than DeRosa.

With a win-or-go-home matchup against Canada (that comes not even a month after the two countries squared off in the gold medal game in men's hockey at the Olympics) on-deck for Friday night, the question on everyone's mind is: can Team USA shake off their loss to Italy (and the drama that ensued) and lock back in as they chase down a championship?

If they're going to pull it off, there's no room for error for either DeRosa or his players - and Cubs fans are all too familiar with one of the key cogs in the club's offense to this point in Pete Crow-Armstrong.

If he plays, Pete Crow-Armstrong is familiar with Canada's starter

It's a small sample size (just 10 at-bats), but entering Friday, PCA leads all USA players with a 1.427 OPS and is tied with Aaron Judge for the team lead in home runs (2), trailing only Roman Anthony in runs batted in. Now, the bigger question is whether or not he'll be in the starting lineup (DeRosa has gone back and forth between Crow-Armstrong and Byron Buxton to this point).

A familiar face will be on the mound for Canada Friday in Michael Soroka, the Cubs' doomed trade deadline acquisition from last summer - so there should be some familiarity between PCA and the right-hander.

Last year against righties, Crow-Armstrong slashed .271/.315/.523, so the matchup (paired with his elite center field defense) could be enough for him to get the start over Buxton, who posted a very similar .253/.313/.516 line against right-handers in 2025.

Look. All I'm saying is there's no room for further missteps or wasted opportunities, and there are very few players capable of impacting a game in as many ways as Pete Crow-Armstrong. If DeRosa wants to get past this week's chaos, letting PCA do what he does best is a good way to start.