Venezuela Wins 2026 World Baseball Classic, Mykel Garcia Named MVP

Who would have thought that the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) MVP would be born in Venezuela, not the United States, the home of baseball.

Dramatic Victory Over the United States

Venezuela won a thrilling 3-2 victory against the United States in the 2026 WBC final held at Rondepo Park in Miami, Florida, USA on March 18th.

Venezuela’s Upset Run

Venezuela pulled off a major upset by defeating the United States, the home of baseball, in the first WBC finals. Venezuela passed Group D in second place (3 wins, 1 loss), then upset Japan, the title favorite, 8-5 in the quarterfinals, and defeated Italy 4-2 in the semifinals to advance to the finals for the first time in its history.

United States Falls Short

The United States suffered a setback and was thwarted in its bid to win its second championship in 9 years since 2017. Following the 2023 competition, it finished in second place for two consecutive years. The United States passed the Group B preliminaries in second place (3 wins, 1 loss), defeated Canada (5-3) in the quarterfinals, and the Dominican Republic (2-1) in the semifinals, advancing to the finals of the last three tournaments in a row.

Mykel Garcia Earns MVP Honors

The long-awaited MVP was won by Venezuelan champion infielder Mykel Garcia. Garcia led his country to its first championship with a batting average of .385 (10 hits in 26 at-bats), 1 home run, 7 RBI, 5 runs, an on-base percentage of .393, a slugging percentage of .755, and an OPS of .970 in 7 games in this tournament. He delivered the decisive tying home run in the quarterfinals against Japan and scored the go-ahead RBI with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning of the final with the score tied 0-0.

Garcia’s Tournament Performance

Garcia recorded 10 hits in 7 games, surpassing the next group of players who had 8 hits by 2, and won the title for the most hits in the tournament.

Garcia’s Background

Garcia debuted in the major league with the Kansas City Royals in 2022 and won the American League All-Star and Gold Glove last year, his fourth year, with a career high of .208, 6.6, 170 hits, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 81 runs, and an OPS of .800 in 160 games. This success led to his inclusion on the Venezuelan national team, where he achieved his first championship and MVP award.