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The Kansas City Royals are all over the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The quarterfinals round featured nine different players from the Royals, with Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac Caglianone, Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, and Seth Lugo being among the most notable.
Witt, widely considered a top-five player in all of Major League Baseball, has played well on both sides of the ball for Team USA. Through four games, he has collected five hits and scored two runs. He has also walked five times and stolen three bases. His defense against Mexico also produced multiple highlight-reel plays.
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Pasquantino has been the star for Team Italy, breaking out of an early slump with a three-home run game against Mexico. He has had his Royals teammate Jac Caglianone alongside him, who has one home run and three RBIs thus far.
This Royals representation in the WBC has generated a new nickname that is starting to catch on: The Royal Baseball Classic.
This name not only represents how many players Kansas City has in the WBC, but also the fan interest. Fox Sports PR announced on Friday that Kansas City currently leads all markets in World Baseball Classic viewership. Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Diego, and Milwaukee round out the top five.
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Italy plays again on Saturday in their quarterfinals contest against Japan. Royals fans will have a chance to see their players star again on the big stage as they look to advance to the semifinals round. There is a lot of buzz in Kansas City right now, as the Royals made some strong moves this offseason to hopefully propel themselves into AL Central contention.
Before that pursuit begins, the World Baseball Classic will continue being represented by several Royals stars.
Lugo will take the hill for Puerto Rico against Italy on Saturday, facing several of his teammates in that undefeated Italian lineup. The Venezuela-Japan game will of course feature Perez and Garcia, two staples in Kansas City’s lineup.
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Lugo has been impressive so far in the WBC, tossing four innings of scoreless baseball and striking out three. This start will be his biggest challenge yet, especially since he will be facing hitters who know his tendencies.
Given all this Kansas City representation, it’s only fitting that “Royal Baseball Classic” is starting to catch on. Royals fans have to be excited about the potential momentum carryover this can have into the 2026 MLB season.
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