The Kansas City Royals have a number of stars participating in the World Baseball Classic. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino have received the most attention. Witt has performed well for the extremely talented Team USA squad, while Team Italy's Pasquantino recently became the first player in WBC history to hit three home runs in a game. However, Maikel Garcia of Team Venezuela and Jac Caglianone of Team Italy have also made significant impacts. 

Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe recently discussed players who could make big impacts for the remainder of the World Baseball Classic, via Chris Rose Sports. They focused on teams outside of the big three remaining ball clubs -- Team USA, Japan and Dominican Republic. Plouffe chose Caglianone, while Rose went with Garcia.

Plouffe also predicted that Caglianone will have a "massive" season with the Royals in 2026. Rose explained that he believes Garcia can help Team Venezuela make a run in the WBC.

Both teams recently clinched spots in the quarterfinals. Italy will play Puerto Rico on Saturday, while Venezuela will play against Japan on Saturday as well. Both games will be difficult matchups, but Caglianone and Garcia could be the teams' X-factors.

Caglianone, 23, is an exciting outfield prospect with a bright future. He played in 62 games in 2025, having an up and down first cup of coffee in the big leagues with the Royals. His .157 batting average was obviously underwhelming, but Caglianone did record seven home runs and six doubles. So far in the World Baseball Classic, Caglianone is hitting .375/.583/.875 to go along with one home run.

Garcia, meanwhile, earned the first All-Star selection of his career in 2025. The 26-year-old third baseman hit .286/.351/.449 en route to finishing 14th in American League MVP voting. Garcia earned the first Gold Glove award of his career as well.

At the World Baseball Classic, Garcia is hitting .429/.467/.500.

The Royals have an intriguing 2026 outlook. They feature a number of established stars and up and coming players. As long as the pitching performs at a respectable level, the lineup will take care of the rest.

At the moment, Maikel Garcia and Jac Caglianone are focused on preparing for their upcoming World Baseball Classic quarterfinals games. Puerto Rico and Italy will play at 3 PM EST on Saturday, while Venezuela and Japan will play at 9 PM EST on Saturday night.