Royals’ Salvador Perez will captain Team Venezuela in 2026 World Baseball Classic
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- Salvador Perez named Venezuela captain for 2026 World Baseball Classic.
- Perez enters fourth WBC after 2025 season with 30 homers and 100 RBIs.
- Perez extends Kansas City Royals contract through 2027 campaign.
Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez added a new entry to his Hall of Fame résumé Monday afternoon. Perez, 35, was named the team captain for Venezuela ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Perez is set to make his fourth WBC appearance. He is hitting .346 with two home runs and eight RBIs in eight career games. In 2023, Perez was named an All-WBC selection after leading Venezuela through the tournament.
The Royals have several players lined up to play in the global tournament. Bobby Witt Jr. will suit up for Team USA while Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone will play for Team Italy in March.
Seth Lugo will represent Team Puerto Rico. It’s possible that Perez could have teammate Maikel Garcia join Team Venezuela. At the moment, Garcia hasn’t been notified if he is on the team but would like to play.
This offseason, Perez signed a two-year contract extension with the Royals. He will remain with the organization through the 2027 campaign.
Perez posted 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in 2025. He also became the eighth MLB primary catcher to eclipse 300 or more homers — joining Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Lance Parrish, Ivan Rodriguez and Gary Carter.
Perez can reach more milestones next season. He is just 15 homers shy of passing Hall of Famer George Brett (317) for the most in franchise history.
Venezuela will play the Netherlands on March 6 at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida.
