The stadium had barely quieted after the final pitch. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa was already looking ahead, calling for a significant change to how the World Baseball Classic is played.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic ended with a tight 3-2 victory for Venezuela over Team USA, a game that captured everything fans love about the tournament. Energy, national pride, and high-level competition were all there.
But there was also something else, something that keeps coming up every edition. The tournament is played in March, right in the middle of MLB Spring Training. Players are still building up, especially pitchers.
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That matters. Pitch counts start low, around 65 pitches in early rounds, and increase slowly as the tournament progresses. It is designed to protect arms, but it also changes how games are managed.
The result is a global tournament played with postseason intensity, but preseason limitations.
DeRosa’s proposal is simple, but the impact could be huge
DeRosa believes there is a better way. Move the World Baseball Classic to the middle of the season.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, DeRosa argued that players would be sharper and more prepared in that window. As he explained, “They would be more prepared and more dialed in… we’d be dealing with way less restrictions.”
It is not just his opinion anymore. The idea is starting to gain traction.
Former pitcher and analyst John Smoltz has also supported the concept, suggesting that MLB could pause its season briefly to make it work. It is a model used in other sports, which makes the proposal feel more realistic than it might have in the past.
What a midseason WBC could really change
If the tournament moved to midseason, the difference on the field could be noticeable right away.
Pitchers would not be ramping up. They would already be in form. Managers could make decisions based on performance, not restrictions. The overall level of play could rise, especially in high-pressure games like the recent final.
In short, the tournament would finally match its level of talent with the right moment on the calendar.
Still, the concerns are just as real.
Teams competing for playoff spots may hesitate to send their best players into an intense international tournament. Injuries, workload, and contract considerations would all come into play. That tension between club priorities and international competition is not new, but it would feel different in the middle of the season.
A conversation that keeps getting louder
The World Baseball Classic has grown quickly in importance. More stars are participating. Games are drawing bigger audiences. The atmosphere now feels closer to October than March.
That growth is exactly why this discussion matters more now. What once felt like a preseason showcase is becoming something much bigger.
The format has not changed, but expectations have.
Where things stand now
There is no official shift yet. Any change would require agreement between MLB, the MLB Players Association, and international baseball organizers.
For now, the tournament stays where it is. But after another memorable edition, and with voices like Mark DeRosa pushing the conversation forward, the idea is no longer sitting in the background.
It is starting to feel like something baseball will have to seriously consider.
This article is based on statements from Mark DeRosa reported by Bob Nightengale, along with publicly available World Baseball Classic rules and commentary from John Smoltz. Additional context reflects recent tournament results and the current MLB schedule structure.