2026 WBC gives Royals star perfect opportunity to shake frustrating underrated status

After having an immaculate breakout campaign in 2025, Maikel Garcia made his long-awaited entrance onto the major league scene.

In 666 plate appearances last season, the third baseman really blossomed into one of the league's brightest stars at the hot corner, with a .286/.351/.449 slash line, 16 HR, 74 RBI, a 12.6% K-rate, 23 stolen bases and a 121 wRC+.

Pair that with Gold Glove worthy defense - the highest-rated of any AL third-baseman in DRS, OAA and FRV - and suddenly we're talking about near-6.0 fWAR player (5.6), ranking him amongst the top 15 of any player in baseball.

However, amidst all this, apart from a Gold Glove and his first All-Star nod - which he made as an injury replacement - Garcia didn't receive nearly the recognition that you'd think a player turning in a top-tier season like this would receive.

He was snubbed out of a seemingly rightful Silver Slugger award, he failed to crack an All-MLB team and even members of the media omitted him from some end-of-season honors lists that he seemed a shoo-in to be named to.

That being said, all that's in the past now. The only thing that Garcia and the Royals fanbase can do now is look forward to the 2026 season. And on the heels of signing a long-term extension this winter, Garcia won't have to wait long to get his first chance at re-writing the script and finally getting his long-overdue recognition.

After being named to Venezuela's national team for March's World Baseball Classic on Thursday, Garcia will now have the attention of the entire world and what better way is there to endear yourself to the rest of the baseball scene.

Maikel Garcia has an opportunity to shine on the global stage in 2026 World Baseball Classic

It's no secret that the World Baseball Classic has turned into one of the pinnacle moments on the baseball calendar when it comes around every three years.

In fact, some of the more recent memorable moments in all of baseball have occurred when the world's top baseball nation's collide. Whether it be Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout's epic at-bat in the 2023 WBC final or Yadier Molina and Javier Báez connecting for an incredible no-look tag to catch Nelson Cruz stealing in the 2nd round of the 2017 WBC, there's no shortage of noteworthy moments.

And now Garcia has a chance to be a big time contributor for one one of the projected better teams in the entire 2026 tournament.

Given the likes of former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, Wilyer Abreu and fellow Royals teammate Salvador Perez are already forming the heart of this order, Garcia has a chance to really shine at the plate amongst them.

And while there was some early controversial debate of who would be Venezuela's starting third baseman, the fact that Garcia was named to the roster before Eugenio Suárez - who still remains without a major league contract at the late stages of the offseason - perhaps means Garcia's standing as the nation's starting third baseman could be alive and well.

Time will tell how exactly he fits into Venezuela's WBC plans, but it very well might be the best spot for him to ultimately shake his underrated status in the 2026 calendar year.