Royals’ Maikel Garcia reaches decision about playing in World Baseball Classic
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Maikel Garcia will join Team Venezuela for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
- Garcia, a 2025 All-Star and Gold Glove winner, signed a five-year contract.
- Twenty teams begin play March 4 across San Juan, Miami, Houston and Tokyo.
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will join his fellow countrymen during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Garcia was named Thursday to Team Venezuela ahead of the upcoming tournament. He is the second Royals player on the team — catcher/first baseman Salvador Perez will captain the Venezuelan squad when the WBC begins in early March.
A native of La Sabana, Venezuela, Garcia recently signed a five-year contract extension with the Royals after becoming an All-Star for the first time in 2025. Garcia, 25, hit .286 with 16 home runs, 74 RBIs and 123 OPS+ in 160 games.
This offseason, Garcia won his first Gold Glove at third base. He also garnered American League MVP votes and was a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award.
Now, Garcia will display his talent on a global scale. He joins a Venezuelan team that includes MLB stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio and Wilyer Abreu, among others.
Four other Royals are taking part in the World Baseball Classic. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. will represent the United States; first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and outfielder Jac Caglianone will play for Italy; and pitcher Seth Lugo will suit up for Puerto Rico.
The World Baseball Classic begins on March 4. Twenty teams will be vying for the 2026 title. There are four rounds of pool play — located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miami, Houston and Tokyo. The teams will compete for eight spots in round-robin play.
The top two teams in each pool will advance. From there, a bracket is established with a set of quarterfinal, semifinal and championship matchups.
Japan returns as the reigning WBC champion. In 2023, Japan defeated the U.S. to win its third WBC title.