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KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2014 With the next World Baseball Classic (WBC<\/strong><\/a>) quickly approaching, several Kansas City Royals are set to take the field for their respective countries.<\/p>\n So far, six Royals players have committed to playing for a variety of countries coming up in March, meaning they\u2019ll depart Spring Training in Suprise, Arizona a bit early just before the start of the 2026 MLB season.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Fans react to potential downtown Kansas City Royals stadium <\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at which Royals are participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic:<\/p>\n The Royals\u2019 superstar shortstop was one of the first on this list to commit to his home country for the WBC, making the announcement<\/a><\/strong> back in June of 2025.<\/p>\n After a strong but limited showing in the 2023 WBC, Witt Jr. will likely take on a much larger role in \u201926 as Team USA\u2019s starting shortstop. In his previous WBC appearance, he was the youngest player on a star-studded USA team (22). He went 1-2 with an RBI double against Mexico, and served as a pinch runner in the 9th inning of the final before Japan\u2019s ace, Shohei Ohtani, struck out USA outfielder Mike Trout to seal Japan\u2019s win.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Royals name Circa as new sports betting partner after parting ways with Underdog <\/a><\/p>\n Team USA will face Brazil on March 6 for its first game of the tournament.<\/p>\n Veteran catcher and 2015 World Series MVP Salvador Perez returns to the WBC<\/strong><\/a> in 2026 for the fourth time as Team Venezuela\u2019s captain.<\/p>\n In his eight WBC games, Perez has been stellar for Venezuela\u2019s squad. He\u2019s hit for a .346 average with two home runs and eight RBIs. In 2023, Perez hit .429 with a homer, four doubles and six RBIs, earning him a selection to the All-WBC team following the tournament.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Team Venezuela is getting another Royal for the 2026 games; the Royals\u2019 third baseman, Maikel Garcia, will suit up for the team as well.<\/p>\n Garcia, a La Sabana, Venezuela native, is set to make his WBC debut<\/a><\/strong> after a breakout season for KC in 2025, which earned him his first All-Star nod, his first Gold Glove and a five-year extension with the club.<\/p>\n Venezuela will begin the tournament with a game against the Netherlands on March 6 in Miami.<\/p>\n Vinnie Pasquantino<\/strong><\/a>, a fan favorite in Kansas City, will be representing his Italian heritage in the 2026 WBC.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Eric Bieniemy speaks on getting \u2018back in the saddle\u2019 as Chiefs OC <\/a><\/p>\n Like Witt Jr., Pasquantino also saw his first WBC action in 2023\u2019s games, but will see a larger role in 2026; he\u2019s considered to be the clear choice to start at first base for Italy\u2019s squad, which hit just a single home run in the 2023 games.<\/p>\n Pasquantino went 4-20 (.200) in the \u201923 WBC and was also a victim of Ohtani\u2019s team, falling to Japan in the quarterfinal round.<\/p>\n Team Italy and Team USA never faced off that year, but with both teams in Pool B this year, they\u2019ll play against each other this year on March 10 in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n Pasquantino has another Royal joining him this year as well. Second-year slugger Jac Caglianone is set to represent Italy<\/strong><\/a> in March as well.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n While it\u2019ll be Cags\u2019 first WBC, his power-hitting metrics are welcomed to a team that struggled to get the ball past the fences in 2023.<\/p>\n The year 2025 was a year of ups and downs for Caglianone, who flew through the Royals\u2019 minor league system but failed to effectively translate his skills at the big league level. However, with fans and seemingly the Royals organization banking on him to figure out major league pitching to a better degree in 2026, the WBC will be a good chance to see what the 22-year-old worked on over the offseason.<\/p>\n Team Italy will play Brazil\u2019s team in its first game of the WBC on March 3.<\/p>\n Seth Lugo announced that he\u2019ll pitch for Puerto Rico<\/strong><\/a> in the 2026 WBC, which will be his second such tournament, back in April of last year.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n In the 2017 WBC, Lugo also pitched for Puerto Rico. He started three games for the club, racking up a 4.20 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 15 innings. Interestingly, Lugo took the mound in the 2017 WBC final versus Team USA, but took the loss.<\/p>\n Kansas City Chiefs select finalists to design new stadium <\/a><\/p>\n Lugo\u2019s Puerto Rico squad will open the tournament against Colombia on March 6.<\/p>\n While some players participating in this year\u2019s WBC are originally from the countries they\u2019ll be representing, others, including the majority of the Royals, have lived in the United States their entire lives. However, to be eligible to represent a country, there are seven routes a player can take:<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Permanent legal residency<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Future citizenship\/documentation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n For example, outside of Perez and Garcia, who are both Venezuelan natives, no other non-USA team member actually comes from the countries they\u2019re representing. Caglianone is from Florida, Lugo is from Louisiana and Pasquantino is from Virginia.<\/p>\n However, Pasquantino is of Italian heritage on his father\u2019s side, Caglianone is of Italian descent on his father\u2019s side and Lugo gets his Puerto Rican heritage from his father.<\/p>\n For a more detailed look at the WBC eligibility rules, click here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/i><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\nSS Bobby Witt Jr. \u2013 Team USA<\/h2>\n
C Salvador Perez, 3B Maikel Garcia \u2013 Team Venezuela<\/h2>\n
1B Vinnie Pasquantino, OF Jac Caglianone \u2013 Team Italy<\/h2>\n
SP Seth Lugo \u2013 Team Puerto Rico<\/h2>\n
Eligibility<\/h2>\n
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