The catching position for the Kansas City Royals is now synonymous with Salvador Perez, but that may change slightly in the coming seasons.
Perez will likely be back next season at age 36 as the team’s part-time backstop, part-time first baseman/designated hitter. But he’s also acquired a protege and potential successor.
Twenty-two-year-old Carter Jensen made his major league debut earlier this month after a fantastic campaign in Double-A and Triple-A. He’s been tearing the cover off the ball so far, posting a 12-for-40 start with a pair of home runs, 11 RBIs, and a .966 OPS.
On Monday, Jensen was recognized not for the work he’s done since arriving in Kansas City, but the progress it took to earn a spot on the roster.
Baseball America named Jensen its Royals Minor League Player of the Year, with a write-up from Kansas City prospect evaluator Bill Mitchell.
“It would be easy to simply categorize season as a breakout for the 22-year-old catcher, especially with the Kansas City-area native ending the campaign with his first callup to the major league team he grew up following,” wrote Mitchell.
“But really, his success stems from continuing to build on the growth he has exhibited in each of his pro seasons since the Royals drafted him in the third round in 2021.”
Jensen was remarkable in his 111 minor-league games this season, especially after earning his promotion to Triple-A. He totaled a .780 OPS and six home runs for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, but a 1.051 OPS and 14 home runs for Triple-A Omaha in 25 fewer games.
The Royals have interesting questions to answer behind the dish moving forward, because not only is Perez still around, but consensus No. 1 prospect Blake Mitchell is another catcher. Mitchell, 21, will head to the Arizona Fall League next month after spending most of this season at High-A.
Clearly, Jensen is a piece of the future in some form or fashion. It’s just a question of whether he takes the full-time gig, and if so, how soon.
More MLB: Royals’ ‘Likely’ Salvador Perez Contract Decision Revealed By Insider
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