Royals fans must pay attention to these fringe roster candidates during 2026 WBC

As the 2026 season nears, so to does next month's World Baseball Classic, where 20 of the best baseball nations will congregate in the United States, Puerto Rico and Japan to determine who will be considered the best on the planet.

While Kansas City Royals fans will surely be watching the likes of their several surefire major league stars participating for their respective nations in this year's tournament, their reach goes far beyond just the familiar faces.

Several fringe roster pieces, whether that be non-roster invitees or somewhat forgotten prospects on the 40-man roster, will also be participating in this year's World Baseball Classic after rosters were revealed this past week.

And Royals fans need to pay attention to these types of names too, because who knows, perhaps they may end up cracking Kansas City's major league roster at some point or another during the 2026 season.

4 fringe roster candidates Royals fans must pay attention to during 2026 World Baseball Classic

Abraham Toro - Infielder - Canada

Toro isn't the most exciting name in the world, however neither are the Royals' current utility options of Nick Loftin and Tyler Tolbert.

While he may be occupying third base for Team Canada next month and only appeared at first and third base for the Boston Red Sox last season - which certainly aren't needs for the Royals in 2026 given Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia - his experience at second base and minimal past in the corner outfield make him an intriguing utility option, should he come out looking strong in spring training and at the WBC.

With an 87 wRC+ in 2024 and a 77 wRC+ in 2025, the bat isn't anything to write home about overall, however, there are some facets to his offensve game that are intriguing enough to warrant a look.

Last season, while most of his underlying metrics were well below-average, he did manage to thrive when it came to plate discipline, striking out just 14.8% of the time and whiffing only 20.4% of the time. Pair with that an 81.3% contact rate and 89.5% in-zone contact rate and you have a hitter that at the very least is source of putting the ball in play more often than not off the bench.

It's not much but knowing that there could be a positionally versatile option that can make consistent contact could be a difference maker between the margins for this squad.

Eric Cerantola - Relief Pitcher - Canada

Joining Toro on Canada's roster is prospect hurler Cerantola, who despite being on the Royals 40-man roster is still searching for his first career major league call-up.

And while he'll have his hands full trying to crack the bullpen with new names with big league pedigree like Matt Strahm, Nick Mears and to a lesser extent Alex Lange being added to the fold this winter, it's not egregious to think that the 25-year-old could be called upon in a pinch or even with just good results in Omaha.

In 49.0 innings of work in 2025 with the Storm Chasers, Cerantola wasn't the greatest with a 4.04 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, but a strong 11.57 K/9 clip, .215 BAA and 3.64 FIP shows he's capable of generating strikeouts, limiting the damage via hits and was frankly slightly unlucky.

And Cerantola is only a year removed from sub-3.00 ERA season split between Double and Triple-A where he struck out 31.5% of opposing hitters and also held them to a sub-.200 batting average.

Jorge Alfaro - Catcher - Colombia

The Royals signed Alfaro to minor league contract at the beginning of the new year amidst their presumptive search for a third catcher.

And Alfaro, alongside recent minor league signee Luke Maile, seem like the front runners to join the likes of Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen on this big league roster come Opening Day, should the Royals opt for three catchers again of course.

While Alfaro wasn't anything spectacular by any means in his limited major league run with the Washington Nationals last year - posting a 54 wRC+ 14 games - he does have prior prospect pedigree, and back with the Phillies and the Marlins between 2017-19, he was a fairly consistent source of 95 wRC+ totals or better and double-digit homers.

The third catcher's role doesn't require much, so if Alfaro can catch the attention of the front office and coaching staff in both Surprise and the WBC with Team Colombia, perhaps he could be provide enough of a spark to crack this roster in 2026.

Eli Morgan - Relief Pitcher - Israel

Lastly, we round off with Israel's Eli Morgan, who after some reliable seasons with the Cleveland Guardians between 2022-2024, will have a chance to right some wrongs in an injury-ridden 2025 campaign with the Cubs.

Before spending most of last season on the injured list, Morgan was coming of a lights-out year in the Guardians' 'pen in 2024, throwing to a 1.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and .194 BAA.

And even when things seemed to be crashing down on the 29-year-old righty last season, he still managed to be a consistent source of inducing weak contact with a 35.7% hard-hit rate and still had hitters fooled with a 41.1% chase rate.

The Royals still have plenty of questions in the middle-relief spots of the 'pen entering spring training. So, with a solid spring, followed by a strong World Baseball Classic for Team Israel - where judging by the current state of their pitching staff Morgan should see plenty of high-leverage work - it's not an outlandish take to think that we could be talking about him in this Royals bullpen in the early stages of 2026 if not Opening Day.