Royals $45 Million All-Star Makes Team Puerto Rico Announcement For 2026 WBC
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The Kansas City Royals are still holding out hope for a World Series run in 2025. But if they don't get there, one of their players could have another shot at a championship in March.
World Baseball Classic fever has already begun to build, as players are starting to announce their commitments to play for their national teams. Aaron Judge will be the captain of Team USA, while Francisco Lindor will take the captaincy for Puerto Rico for a second-straight Classic.
As it turns out, Lindor will have some familiar company in the form of one of the Royals' aces.
On Wednesday, Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo confirmed he would play for Team Puerto Rico for a third straight WBC in a video posted by former big leaguer and current Spanish-language analyst Carlos Baerga.
"Absolutely. Can't wait," Lugo said in response to Baerga asking if he planned to participate. "It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it."
Lugo, 35, participated in the 2017 and 2023 WBC events for Puerto Rico, but this time around, he'll be one of the stars. The 2023 campaign was his first as a starter since 2017, and he did well enough to earn a $45 million contract with the Royals in 2024.
Then, Lugo went on to make his first All-Star team and finish second in American League Cy Young Award voting, catapulting himself higher in the Major League Baseball zeitgeist.
Lugo's paternal grandfather is Puerto Rican, which makes him eligible to play for the nation in the WBC. His listed nickname on Baseball Reference is "Quarterrican," a nod to his heritage.
Team Puerto Rico is always a threat at the WBC, but they've never won it all. Their closest call was 2017, when Lugo's squad fell to Team USA in the championship game. Perhaps they'll finally be able to hoist the trophy in the highly popular event's sixth installment.
Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez participated in the 2023 WBC as well. It will be intriguing to see how many Royals players participate this time around.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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