Team USA lineup reveals Mark DeRosa’s response to Cal Raleigh and slumping hitters

Mark DeRosa has been public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of USA fans in the World Baseball Classic for a couple of reasons. Not knowing the stakes of their final pool play game against Italy was bad enough, but DeRosa's lineup choices have been frustratingly bad. DeRosa has consistently prioritized veterans over younger, better players, and even went out of his way to ensure everyone has gotten some playing time, rather than trying to win every game.

Well, with a tournament-defining matchup against the Dominican Republic on the horizon, it appears DeRosa has finally found a sense of urgency. He has benched Cal Raleigh and Alex Bregman, hoping to see the kind of offensive breakout this Team USA club is capable of.

Mark DeRosa shuffles Team USA lineup against Dominican Republic

Raleigh has gone 0-for-9 with five strikeouts and a couple of refused handshakes, while Will Smith, the backup, has gone 2-for-6 while also drawing a pair of walks and not striking out a single time. Raleigh even allowed what could've been a very costly passed ball in Friday's win against Canada. Smith starting over him was a no-brainer, and that wasn't the only change.

At long last, Gunnar Henderson is given his deserved respect by replacing Alex Bregman at third base. Bregman has gone just 2-for-11 in the WBC, while Henderson is 5-for-10 with a home run and happens to have outstanding numbers against Luis Severino, the Dominican Republic starting pitcher. Henderson has not only been better in the WBC, but he's a better player than Bregman overall, raising the question of what took DeRosa so long to make this switch to begin with.

While this lineup isn't quite as potent as that of the Dominican Republic, it gives the USA a better chance to score runs than with the lineups it had previously. If the USA loses this game, DeRosa's starting lineup won't be the reason why.

Mark DeRosa deserves credit for adapting

It would've been easy for DeRosa to sit back and stick with the lineup he's gone with for much of the tournament. After all, Bregman is a three-time All-Star and a two-time World Series winner. Raleigh just hit 60 home runs this past season as a catcher and is pretty clearly the best player at his position. Benching players of this stature, even if All-Stars are replacing them, is easier said than done, especially in a big game like this.

It would've been a lot easier for DeRosa to look at the backs of their baseball cards and roll with that as an excuse for the status quo. Will the changes work? I have no idea. Replacing players who have gone a combined 2-for-20 in the WBC, though, in favor of All-Stars who have looked much better, feels like the smart play.

While DeRosa deserves credit for benching Bregman and Raleigh, his lineup still has one clear flaw.

Refusal to move Bryce Harper down in lineup could doom USA

Bryce Harper is a two-time MVP winner and one of the best players of his generation. Contrary to Dave Dombrowski's belief, I honestly believe that he is still an elite player. I also believe that he's the best first baseman on this roster, and he should be in the starting lineup for this game. With that being said, Harper has gone 3-for-20 with seven strikeouts, consistently falling short with runners on base. If DeRosa is riding the hot hand in the cases of Smith and Henderson, why isn't he moving Harper down in the order?

Harper is hitting in arguably the most important spot in the lineup, behind Bobby Witt Jr. and in front of Aaron Judge. It's critical to have a player in that No. 2 hole who can not only get on base in front of Judge, but drive in runs behind Witt. Harper has a measly .227 OBP and has driven in one run all tournament long. Why is he hitting second when players like Henderson, Kyle Schwarber and Roman Anthony are more than capable?

It was encouraging to see DeRosa be proactive and make tough changes, but continuing to hit Harper in a prime spot in the lineup could prove to be extremely costly in a game that the USA can ill-afford to make a single mistake. It's on Harper to prove DeRosa right, and his critics wrong.

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