By MATT PIKE
The list of Kansas City Royals players that will participate in this spring’s World Baseball Classic is growing as closer Carlos Estevez will pitch for the Dominican Republic, the team announced yesterday afternoon.
Estevez becomes the seventh Royal to announce he will play in the WBC, joining Bobby Witt Jr (USA), Seth Lugo (Puerto Rico), Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone (Italy), as well as Salvador Perez and the most recently announced player Maikel Garcia (Venezuela). Both Venezuela and the Domincan Republic play in Pool D, meaning Perez and Garcia will face off with Estevez on March 11th.
Estevez had a 4-5 record, a 2.45 ERA and 42 saves for the Royals in 2025, his first season with the organization. He was also named an All Star for the second time in his career last season.
¡Estévez estará en el Clásico! 🔥⚾️
Carlos Estévez defenderá el equipo dominicano en el #WorldBaseballClassic 🇩🇴#DominicanoYYa pic.twitter.com/ahXqSQgnOB— Selección Dominicana de Béisbol (@_losdominicanos) January 29, 2026
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