World Baseball Classic Podcast: Ronald Acuna Jr., Venezuela Beat Team USA

If Venezuela was going to make noise in the World Baseball Classic, Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. was going to need to play a big part. The best player on Venezuela’s roster, Acuña is a five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and the 2023 National League Most Valuable Player.

While he may not have had the earth-shattering WBC performance many were expecting, Acuña still produced a very strong . 962 OPS while hitting two home runs, walking seven times, stealing two bases, and driving in four runs. He went 1-for-3 with a walk in the championship game victory over Team USA, helping set the tone for Venezuela with a rocket base hit up the middle to start the game.

An emotional Ronald Acuña Jr. celebrating Team Venezuela’s first #WorldBaseballClassic championship 🇻🇪 pic. twitter.

com/366Fu1tJ90 — World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 18, 2026 Acuña also had plenty of help, most notably from tournament MVP: Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia. While Garcia went hitless in the championship game against Team USA, he did drive in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Also representing the Royals well was veteran catcher Salvador Perez, who went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the title game.