Kansas City Royals Fans’ Roadmap to 2026 World Baseball Classic

Here is what to look for.

Feb 25, 2026; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins on Wednesday, March 4, and it should be yet another exciting tournament as teams from all over the globe compete to win a title for their country.

The Kansas City Royals have a lot of players taking part in this year's classic. In fact, they have 17 players from organization exactly that will be in the mix.

Here is a rundown of each member of the Royals that will take part in this year's World Baseball Classic and who fans may end up deciding to cheer for as a result based on how many Royals players are where.

Royals' WBC rundown

USA designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with Mike Trout (L) and Paul Goldschmidt (46) after hitting a three-run home run against Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field in Phoenix on March 11, 2023. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Prospects Eric Cerantola, Brandon Herbold, Omar Hernandez and Oscar Rayo will be suiting up for Canada, the Netherlands, Cubs and Nicaragua, respectively. Catcher Jorge Alfaro kicks off the list of Major Leaguers to take part in the tournament, and he'll suit up for Colombia.

Joining Cerantola on Team Canada will be infielder Abraham Toro. Luinder Avila, Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia will be playing for Venezuela. Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino will be in uniform for Team Italy.

Only one member of the team will suit up for either Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. Seth Lugo will pitch for Puerto Rico, while Carlos Estevez will pitch for the latter.

Finally, Team USA, who fell just short of a title last time around in 2023, will have three current members of the Royals' roster. Bobby Witt Jr., Michael Wacha and Matt Strahm will all be on the roster for the Americans.

As far as who to cheer for based on how many Royals are where, it might end up being a tossup between the United States and Venezuela. Both rosters have some very significant contributors from the Royals' roster. Fans will want to see Garcia and Perez do well for Venezuela, but they will also want to see what Witt can do as he takes his talents to Team USA.

Fans from all over the world will be able to see their favorite Royals suit up for their respective countries and do battle in the World Baseball Classic. It will certainly be interesting to see who most of the fanbase decides to cheer for as the Classic draws near, but it should also be a very fun tournament, as always.

We'll see who ultimately comes out on top and if any Royals players will take home some hardware.