Maikel Garcia Wins WBC MVP Due To All-Around Contributions – Why Did He Win?

Maikel Garcia was named the MVP of the World Baseball Classic.

Although Garcia didn’t have a hit in the championship game, his sac fly got Team Venezuela on the board first. Along with that, his elite defense saved Team Venezuela several times. 

The WBC MVP is for all games, not just the championship round. Garcia had one home run, seven RBIs and a .970 OPS. Although his offensive numbers weren’t dominant, his all-around contributions along with his defense made him the choice for WBC MVP.  

Team Venezuela went 3-1 in group play. Ironically, Garcia’s best game came in the loss to Team Dominican Republic. Garcia had four hits in four at-bats and a walk. He also scored a run and had an RBI. Despite this, Team Venezuela couldn’t survive the offensive onslaught from Team Dominican Republic. This includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr. having three hits and a walk. 

Garcia was a huge part of the upset over the defending champions Team Japan. He had two hits in four at-bats and two RBIs. He was the best hitter in the semifinal game against Team Italy, where he had two hits in four at-bats and an RBI. 

Garcia is coming off a career year where he made his first All-Star team. He finished the season with a 5.8 WAR, which was top-15 in the league. He finished with the same WAR as Jose Ramirez. 

Although a lot of Garcia’s value comes from defense, he’s a good hitter as well. He finished 2025 with an OPS+ of 123. 

All the WBC players, including Garcia, will now return to their respective teams to play the final spring training games. Garcia’s team, the Kansas City Royals, will start the season on March 27 against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta.