After WBC, Cubs’ Crow-Armstrong looking ahead to 2028 Olympics

Posted March 21, 2026 11:44 pm

By Patrick Mooney

MESA, Ariz. — Still processing Team USA’s loss in the World Baseball Classic, Pete Crow-Armstrong stood in front of his locker at the Cubs’ training complex, weary and disconnected.

Three days after that crushing defeat in the championship game, the All-Star center fielder offered a tepid response when asked about watching teammate Daniel Palencia secure the last out for Venezuela.

“It had nothing to do with Danny,” Crow-Armstrong said Friday afternoon. “I love Danny. We lost.”

Less than 20 seconds later, Palencia walked through the middle of the clubhouse with a gold medal draped around his neck. “What timing,” Crow-Armstrong muttered while looking through the group of reporters toward the Cubs’ closer.

Decked out in his No. 29 national team jersey and a blue Venezuela hat turned backward, Palencia pointed at Crow-Armstrong and smiled. Crow-Armstrong laughed and jokingly gave a middle-finger salute.

“He pitched out of his mind,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He was great.”

Setting aside the bitter ending, Crow-Armstrong appreciated the vibrant atmosphere inside loanDepot Park in Miami, where Team USA’s matchups against the Dominican Republic and Venezuela showcased the sport’s global appeal inside the Marlins’ modern, cavernous stadium.

“I really enjoyed playing in front of the different crowds,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I think American fans can kind of take something from the joy and the passion and just the energy that’s output by these other fan bases. It’s a really fun game, and they add to the excitement. That’s something I would do 10 times out of 10 when asked.”

For Crow-Armstrong, who grew up in Southern California and began playing for USA Baseball on its 12-and-under national team, going to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles would be a no-brainer.

“Yeah, I’ll be there if I’m asked,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Absolutely, I’m there, no question.”

Although Major League Baseball and the players’ union have not yet finalized an agreement to pause the 2028 season for an extended All-Star break, there is optimism on both sides that an Olympic deal can be made to place the game’s biggest stars at Dodger Stadium.

Crow-Armstrong, who will turn 24 next week, should be in the prime of his career when USA Baseball next attempts to assemble a gold medal-winning Dream Team.

These WBC memories will stick with Crow-Armstrong, even if he wasn’t ready to analyze how that might benefit him as he tries to help the Cubs win the World Series this year. His two home runs against Team Italy were overshadowed by the dispute involving Mark DeRosa and whether the American manager fully understood the tournament’s tiebreaker scenarios.

“My big moments came in a loss,” Crow-Armstrong said, “so I don’t know if I’m really at the point yet where I’m able to kind of digest everything the way I’ll probably want to eventually. But the playoffs for me last year were good to turn back to and pull from. I’m sure this experience will be, too. But, yeah, I don’t know if I’m quite there yet.”

Leaving a thrilling title game watched by almost 11 million viewers — and then going back to the monotony of spring training and the 100-degree heat in Arizona — can be disorienting.

Cubs fans aren’t the only ones counting down the days until the March 26 season opener at Wrigley Field.

“I’m in a weird space,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Nothing was really on my mind except winning each one of these WBC games. And now that we’re here, it’s absolutely great to be able to look forward to going back to Chicago and seeing everybody there. That’s why I’m back. I’m back to be with this team and be with my boys again. I’m really looking forward to Opening Day.”