Maikel Garcia Showed What Royals Fans Already Knew During WBC

Since the start of last season, he's been this guy

Mar 14, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against Japan in the fifth inning during a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Of over 500 players that appeared in this year's World Baseball Classic, there could only be one Most Valuable Player.

Some global baseball fans might not have expected Maikel Garcia to be in the running for that honor. But seeing Garcia lift that MVP trophy after Team Venezuela's triumph on Tuesday night could never have been a shock to Kansas City Royals fans.

With a 10-for-26 line at the plate (.385 AVG), a clutch home run in the tournament quarterfinals, a go-ahead single in the semis, and a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the championship, Garcia more than deserved the honor. And in a way, it was as if he was catching the rest of the baseball world up on what the Royals' community had already learned about him.

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Garcia's huge tournament serves as statement

Garcia was coming off a near-six-WAR season at third base, his first All-Star Game appearance, and his first Gold Glove last season. But he did all that on a Royals team that finished just two games over .500 and fell out of the playoff race in the middle of the summer.

Showing up in all the big moments against the best players in the world introduced Garcia to a new population of baseball fans, and they all saw the consistency with which he's learned to play the game.

The elite contact skills, the understated ease with which he gets to ground balls to either side, and the ability to slow his heartbeat and deliver a big swing against elite pitching... those were all on full display whenever one tuned into a Royals game last summer. Garcia's breakout season was far from a fluke.

There were lots of reasons the Royals were smart to lock up Garcia on a five-year, $57.5 million extension this winter. The clutch performance he just displayed on a global stage might have added a digit to the eventual contract he would have gotten.

But now that he's got some new hardware, Garcia can reunite with the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino and get cracking on getting the Royals back to the playoffs -- which no one should doubt at this point is well within reach.