Venezuela believes Ronald Acuña Jr. is the best option to strike early against Italy, just like he did against Japan. He enters this semifinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a .278 batting average and a 1.125 OPS, although he was struck out three times in the quarterfinal matchup.
Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez remain in the same spots in the batting order as they were against Japan. Garcia delivered a strong performance in that game with two hits, two RBIs and a home run in five at-bats. He now enters the semifinal with a .421 average. Arraez, on the other hand, is expected to bounce back after failing to produce against the Japanese team.
Eugenio Suárez, serving as DH, has not contributed much for Venezuela since the game against Israel, where he recorded two hits, two RBIs and a home run. In the quarterfinal, when Venezuela eliminated the defending champions, he went 0-for-4 and now holds a .167 batting average.
Venezuela batting order vs. Italy
Ezequiel Tovar did a solid job against Japan and is one of the players expected to make an impact again for Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He enters the matchup against Italy with a .667 batting average, a dangerous number even though he has not recorded an RBI in the tournament.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. RF
- Maikel Garcia 3B
- Luis Arraez 1B
- Eugenio Suárez DH
- Ezequiel Tovar SS
- Gleyber Torres 2B
- Wilyer Abreu LF
- William Contreras C
- Jackson Chourio CF
see also
Italy batting order vs. Venezuela for the 2026 World Baseball Classic
Gleyber Torres delivered what was expected from him in the quarterfinals. He helped his team with one RBI and a couple of hits, entering the semifinal with a .182 batting average, a number that could still be seen as low. Behind him is Wilyer Abreu, who carries a .294 average and hit an important home run against Japan.
Salvador Pérez will not be in the lineup. Instead, William Contreras takes his place, although he has not been able to contribute much to the national team so far in the 2026 WBC. At least Jackson Chourio, hitting last in the order, still brings some value with a .222 batting average.
