Michael Wacha Joins Team USA for World Baseball Classic: Royals Well-Represented on Global Stage
SURPRISE, Ariz. - When Michael Wacha signed with the Kansas City Royals, he probably wasn’t thinking about donning the red, white, and blue. But in just a few weeks, the veteran right-hander will be packing his bags for Houston, where he’ll join Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
It’s the kind of unexpected opportunity that makes spring training a little more exciting-and for Wacha, it’s a shot at something special.
“I was very excited to even get an offer to go play for them,” Wacha said. “Just fired up.
I’m excited to be able to be in that clubhouse with that group of guys and play for this country. Hopefully, go get some gold.”
Wacha won’t be the only Royal representing the Stars and Stripes-he’ll be joined by shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., giving Team USA a solid mix of veteran arm and young star power. But the Royals’ clubhouse will be well represented across the WBC landscape, with several players suiting up for other nations.
Slugger Vinnie Pasquantino and promising young bat Jac Caglianone will play for Team Italy. Right-hander Seth Lugo is heading to Puerto Rico. And Venezuela will feature two familiar faces behind the plate and in the infield: Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia.
The WBC participants are expected to leave Royals camp at the end of the month, giving them time to ramp up with their national squads. For Wacha, the transition is more about fine-tuning than overhauling his preseason plan.
After speaking with Team USA manager Mark DeRosa and pitching coach Andy Pettitte, Wacha felt confident their expectations would align with what he and Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney already had mapped out.
“It ended up being kind of right where I’m going to be here in camp to get ready for our regular season,” Wacha said.
That’s a key point-not every pitcher is comfortable shifting gears mid-spring, especially when the intensity of WBC games can spike well beyond a typical March outing. But Wacha’s not sweating it.
“I tend to try to get ramped up in those spring training games as well,” he said.
The Royals, for their part, are fully on board with their players participating. Manager Matt Quatraro emphasized that the team trusts its veterans to manage their workload and stay sharp without overextending themselves.
“The veteran guys understand what that means,” Quatraro said. “Nobody is going out there to throw seven innings… Just a couple innings, and in some cases, it’s probably good for guys.”
Wacha’s path in Pool B could lead to an intriguing showdown with some of his own teammates. Team USA is grouped with Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, and Mexico. That sets up a potential March 10 matchup against Italy-meaning Wacha could find himself staring down Pasquantino or Caglianone from the mound.
And if he’s not the one pitching? He’s still planning to contribute.
“If I’m not pitching against them, I’ll be able to share some stuff with some of those pitchers to help with some scouting reports,” Wacha said.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic kicks off March 4, with Japan entering as the defending champion after taking down Team USA in the 2023 final. For Wacha and a handful of Royals, this spring is about more than just prepping for the regular season-it’s a chance to compete for something bigger, with national pride and international bragging rights on the line.