The World Baseball Classic is approaching quickly, and Atlanta Braves fans will get to see a few of their favorite players in action. The Astros get the pleasure of hosting games for Pool B during the sixth installment of the WBC. Pool B features teams Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, the United States, and Brazil. This is the ninth MLB park to host WBC contests since the event's inception.
There are only a few Braves participating this year. Those players are Chadwick Tromp, Jurickson Profar, Ozzie Albies, and Ronald Acuna Jr. This will be the first time Albies has participated in the event, while the remaining three have competed before.
All eyes will be on Acuna Jr. this year, as the last time he competed in the WBC (2023), he dominated Major League Baseball and took home the NL MVP. He batted .337 with 35 doubles, 41 homers, 106 RBI, 73 stolen bases, and a gaudy 171 wRC+. Hopefully, fans get to experience a similar result in 2026.
"I love their outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, Wilyer Abreu..." @jonmorosi highlights the talent of Team Venezuela ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! 🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/gcSYFmh1n9
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 30, 2026
The WBC feels like either a return to form or the beginning of the end when it comes to Ronald Acuna Jr.
Returning from injury in 2025, Acuna impressed in 95 games. He had a .290/.417/.518 slash line with 12 doubles, 21 homers, 42 RBI, and a 161 wRC+. So, he's clearly on the right track. The only thing that could stand in his way is his health.
Acuna's participation in the WBC feels a little different this year because it's possible this could be his last time appearing in the WBC as a Brave. Two $17 million club options remain for Acuna before he hits free agency in 2029. It's safe to assume that Atlanta will pick up those options.
Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that they will bring him back beyond those options. Acuna is a premier player and will fetch top dollar in free agency. Braves fans hope the front office will find a way to keep the five-time All-Star in Atlanta. Acuna has mentioned a few times that he wants to remain a Brave for life. The hard part about this is that Atlanta has yet to keep fan favorite players who reach free agency in the Alex Anthopoulos era.
Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, and Max Fried all stated they wanted to stay with the Braves. That is just the unfortunate nature of baseball being a business. Hopefully, they will prove fans wrong and extend Acuna before he reaches that point.