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The World Baseball Classic is finally upon us after Pool C has gotten some early action in, including Japan’s dismantling Chinese Taipei 13-0 in Tokyo on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
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While the Kansas City Royals didn’t have any representation in this pool, it’s not as if they’re not well represented in this year’s global showcase.<\/p>\n
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The Royals are sending 14 players along with two staffers to represent a total of 10 different countries.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Keep an eye on your Royals as they head to the world stage!#WorldBaseballClassic<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/CIDRLQP1QA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n So as the bulk of the action gets underway, who are the guys to take note of<\/a>?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with Team USA, which rostered two Royals in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and right-hander Michael Wacha, but also includes left-hander Matt Strahm amongst their designated pitcher pool, should they need an extra arm in case of injury or early departure<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Witt, one of, not the league\u2019s best shortstops, headlines Team USA\u2019s stacked roster, coming off a season where he slashed .295\/.351\/.501. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Michael Wacha adds a veteran presence and overall consistency<\/a> to what is a pretty young pitching unit, finishing 2025 with a sub-4.00 ERA. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt Strahm, who was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, is a promising bullpen arm. A massive addition for the Royals, Strahm is coming off a season in Philly where he recorded a 2.76 ERA.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Only two Royals to name here, infielder Abraham Toro and minor league pitcher Eric Cerantola.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Should he stick with the team beyond his non-roster invite to camp, Kansas City will be Toro\u2019s sixth team, making him a journeyman. Toro is coming off an overall poor 2025 season with the Red Sox, where he posted a -0.3 WAR. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cerantola, while on the 40-man roster, has yet to see any action in the pros, and it will likely stay like that. He has a 15.43 ERA in spring training thus far, and was already optioned to Triple-A ahead of the tournament. A strong performance here to make up for a rough start to camp could help him save face an potentially earn a call-up<\/a> at some point in 2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perhaps the biggest fan favorite in Royals history, catcher Salvador Perez, will headline Royals players representing Venezuela. Third baseman Maikel Garcia, another budding star, and right-hander Luinder Avila are also rostered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perez is coming off a 30-home run season, as well as working his way up the franchise leaderboards<\/a>, despite batting only .236. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Garcia, on the other hand, is coming off a career-defining year, earning his first All-Star selection and turnign that into a lucrative offseason extension.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Avila, although a late addition to Venezuela’s roster, will have a chance to define himself as a worthy bullpen arm while pitching against the world’s elite<\/a>, amidst what’s been a jam-packed pitching race in Royals spring training so far.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A pair of Royals, but some of the bigger names to mention, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and outfielder Jac Caglianone, will represent the Italians in the World Baseball Classic. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A pair of home run hitting machines with elite power, it is safe to say that there will be some eyes on Team Italy in the event, and it will be because of the Pasquatch and the young up-and-coming superstar.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pasquantino is coming off a a fantastic run production season, where he belted 32 home runs and drove in 113 RBIs, earning a Silver Slugger nomination in the process.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 23-year-old Caglianone on the other hand struggled to begin his career and will hope to breakout and fulfill his lofty prospect expectations in 2026. His upside is through the roof, and he will have the opportunity to showcase it on the world stage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Only one Royal representing Nicaragua, and he hasn\u2019t quite made it to the bigs yet. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oscar Rayo, a left-hander, has only seen minor league action, throwing to a 3.70 ERA in Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2025. But there is certainly a chance he sees meaningful playing time in the WBC. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rayo has only made one appearance in spring training, and he only made it through two outs. He let up four earned runs and has an ERA of 54.00.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eli Morgan, a familiar face in the AL Central in his years with Cleveland right-hander who struggled last year with the Chicago Cubs, will represent be the Royals lone representation on Team Israel in the WBC. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A non-roster invitee with a plenty to prove, Morgan has pitched three shutout innings in spring training and has started crafting a solid case to potentially crack the Opening Day roster.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another country that only rosters one Royal, but this one is a big one, in closer Carlos Est\u00e9vez. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In his first season with the club 2025, Est\u00e9vez looks to provide a solid relief presence in the WBC for one of the tournament’s top contenders. He’s coming off an All-Star campaign where he led the league in saves with 42.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A team plagued by insurance issues which have left them without many of their best stars<\/a>, Puerto Rico still has one of the more fascinating teams in the WBC, which includes Royals veteran starter Seth Lugo – who returns to the Puerto Rican team for the first time since 2017.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 2025, Lugo posted a 4.15 ERA, which although solid, was definitely a production drop off from the year prior, where his finished second in AL Cy Young voting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Omar Hernandez, a minor league catcher, will represent be the Royals only representative in the Cuban team in 2026. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hernandez has struggled in spring training, going 1-for-6 in his plate appearances. Granted, it is a small sample size. He did manage to get a hit off his teammates when the Royals hosted an exhibition against Cuba on Tuesday though.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He’s coming off a relatively poor season though in 2025 split between High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas, posting just a combined 50 wRC+.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jorge Alfaro, a journeyman catcher and non-roster invitee will suit up for the Colombian team once again in hopes to impress the Royals enough to nab a potential third catcher’s role.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alfaro has his work cut out for him if he’s to defy the odds and break camp with the team though. already behind the 8-ball as he’s yet to report to camp due VISA matters<\/a> needing to be resolved, and didn’t exactly impress in his limited major league run in ’25.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 39 plate appearances across 14 games with the Washington Nationals last season, the former prized Phillies prospect only managed to muster a .564 OPS and 54 wRC+ while striking out over 35% of the time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For what it is worth, the Royals will have a pair of athletic trainers taking part in the event<\/a> too. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tony Medina will be part of the staff for the Dominican Republic, and Kazuma Fukuzumi for team Nicaragua.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n
Royals fans have a diverse group of represnetatives to watch at the 2026 World Baseball Classic<\/h2>\n
Team USA<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Team Canada<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Team Venezuela<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Team Italy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Team Nicaragua<\/h3>\n
Team Israel<\/h3>\n
Team Dominican Republic<\/h3>\n
Team Puerto Rico<\/h3>\n
Team Cuba<\/h3>\n
Team Colombia<\/h3>\n
Coaching Staff Representation<\/h3>\n