Royals’ Salvador Perez enters 2026 World Baseball Classic scene in style

The Kansas City Royals have already had their fair share of commitments to the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic, including the likes of Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Seth Lugo.

And Monday only added to the Royals representation in the anticipated global showcase as Salvador Perez’s return to Team Venezuela was made official.

Not only will he be featured on his fourth straight Team Venezuela WBC roster, but Perez will put his captain’s hat on this time around, like he does everyday in Kansas City and lead the South American side.

Royals’ Salvador Perez named team captain of Venezuela for 2026 World Baseball Classic

As exciting as this news is, it shouldn’t come as a shock whatsoever. Perez has been one of the long-time Venezuelan greats in the game and is one of the best veteran presences in all of baseball in general.

Back in the summer, manager Omar López identified both Perez and fellow veteran Jose Altuve as potential leaders on this squad, and Monday’s announcement at least made one half of that official.

Statistically speaking, Perez isn’t entering next year’s tournament on the best of notes. 2025 was undoubtedly a down year for the 35-year-old, as he slashed just .236/.284/.446 with a below-average 95 wRC+.

That being said, he was still an excellent run producer slugging 30 homers and driving in 100 RBI, which fueled him to a Silver Slugger finalist finish despite the overall downturn. This will certainly bode well in the middle of a potentially star-studded Venezuelan lineup that could feature the likes of Altuve, Eugenio Suárez, William Contreras and even Perez’s Royals teammate Maikel Garcia.

What role Perez will play remains to be seen, as the catching scene is as good as ever for Venezuela thanks to the rise of Contreras in Milwaukee as well as the presence of potential young stars behind the plate in Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno and New York’s Francisco Alvarez.

However, Perez has featured a lot more at DH and first base for Kansas City as he enters the twilight stage of his career. He made 38 appearances at DH and 30 at first in 2025, so there’s more than just taking the catcher’s route to get his bat into the lineup.

As Venezuela’s roster continues to fill out, Perez’s role will surely become clearer. And who knows, perhaps Garcia’s announcement is right around the corner, which would add some more Royals flair to one of the WBC’s top powerhouses.