Royals star has quietly become major X-factor in Venezuela’s magical WBC run

The World Baseball Classic has reached the pinnaccle of excitement. The final four teams have been established and Tuesday’s final is fast approaching.

The Royals still have several names remaining amongst this year’s semi-finalists. While many eyes will go to face of the franchise Bobby Witt Jr. and his spectacular defense or the show of power that Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac Caglianone and Team Italy have been showcasing, there’s been one other KC star that’s been flying somehwhat under-the-radar but thriving nonetheless of late in the World Baseball Classic.

Venezuela shocked the world on Saturday night after they bounced the reigning champions in Japan out of the tournament, handing them their first WBC loss since 2017.

And one of the names at the center of their magical run has been Royals All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia, who’s gone about his business and established himself one of the hottest hitters in the WBC of late.

Maikel Garcia’s recent stretch of WBC games cannot be overlooked

Many often look at former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., super-youngster Jackson Chourio or even Garcia’s Royals teammate in long-term veteran backstop Salvador Perez when they think of the Venezuelan offense.

But right their in the heart of the order this month has been Garcia and after a slow start to his tournament, the third baseman has looked like the bat worthy of the multi-year extension he signed this winter.

In his first three games of the group stage against the Netherlands, Israel and Nicaragua, he was just just 2-for-10 with two RBI and even registered a hat-trick in strikeouts versus Team Israel.

But in his last two games against the powerhouses that are the Dominican Republic and of course most recently Japan, Garcia has has gone 6-for-9 with a homer, three RBI, one walk and a pair of steals.

This included a 4-for-4 effort versus the D.R. and an all-important two-run blast against Japan to cut the deficit down to one run, setting his teammate Wilyer Abreu up for his go-ahead three run blast the very next inning.

Garcia entered this tournament in a familiar scenario; a fantastic player but often overshadowed by his teammates and their prior accomplishments. Playing in the same lineup as Bobby Witt Jr. amongst others in Kansas City has made it something he’s accustomed to.

However, Garcia continues to prove that he can rise above the underrated narrative and perform anyways. After a breakout 2025 campaign, a strong WBC showing against two powerhouse contenders has only made it harder for the baseball world to ignore Garcia’s rising stardom.

He’ll have a chance to build on his recent momentum on Monday when Venezuela continues their quest for global baseball supremacy against Italy.