Kansas City Royals Duo Ready to Lead Italy at the 2026 World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic is here! At the last WBC in 2023, the dramatic matchup for the last out between two then-Angels teammates, Japan’s Shohei Ohtani against Team USA’s Mike Trout, is forever etched in history. Unfortunately, that matchup will not happen this year. However, the tables have turned in a sense, as there will be two teammates from the Kansas City Royals looking to make their mark on the same team.

The Royals have a number of players who are participating in the WBC. Among them are first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and outfielder Jac Caglianone, who will be representing the country of their heritage, Italy. Pasquantino is the veteran, rejoining the team for a second tournament. On the other hand, Caglianone represented Team USA as a member of its Collegiate National Team roster in 2023, but will be joining Italy on the big stage. 

Pasquantino has been a solid presence for the Royals in multiple aspects. In each of the past two seasons, he has played 130 or more games. For the 2025 season, the first baseman held a .264 batting average, smashed 32 home runs, and collected 113 runs batted in. As one of the earlier commits to Italy for the tournament and this being his second WBC, the 29-year-old has embraced a leadership role on the team, similar to what he does with the Royals. He will be a key force against powerhouses like Team USA both on and off the field.

As for Caglianone, he was the sixth overall pick by the Royals in the 2024 MLB Draft. He had a rough season at the big league level, appearing in only 62 games last season, batting .157 with seven home runs and 18 runs batted in. The 23-year-old outfielder had a fast start to 2026 during a short stint of Spring Training, racking up six hits in 15 at-bats, a home run, and four runs batted in over the course of six games. He will look to pick up where he left off in Spring Training and look to make an impact against the tough opponents in Pool B, such as Team USA and Mexico. Italy will also have to go through Great Britain and Brazil to have a chance to advance to the next round.