The Kansas City Royals are one of the best young teams in baseball. They have young talent all over the field, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them get better with each passing year.
But veteran catcher Salvador Perez is getting older. In fact, Perez is likely nearing the end of his big-league career, which will be a sad moment for Royals fans everywhere. Fortunately for the Royals, they seemingly already have Perez’s successor in Kansas City.
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CBS Sports’ RJ Anderson recently ranked backup Royals catcher Carter Jensen as one of the best prospects in baseball, noting that he’s bound to be a ‘bat first backstop’ for the Royals. Jensen debuted in Kansas City last season.
Carter Jensen looks like a star in the making in Kansas City
“Jensen put on a show upon his arrival last September, hitting .300/.391/.550 with nine extra-base hits and nearly as many walks as strikeouts in 20 games,” Anderson wrote. “He’s evolved behind the plate, but the draw here remains what he does at it. He possesses immense strength from the left side, recording a hard-hit percentage around 59% between his Triple-A and big-league stints.
“He also has a firm grasp of the strike zone, creating leeway for a strikeout rate that was around 25% in the minors. Only six catchers managed at least a 10% walk rate and a .180 ISO in 2025. The Royals will be thrilled if Jensen adds his name to that group heading forward. “
Jensen debuted last season and posted an incredible 161 OPS+ in 20 games and 60 at-bats. He was worth 0.8 WAR despite only playing in limited games.
Going forward, he should be able to take on more of the load behind the dish, which should help Perez down the final stretch of his career. Both backsyops should be able to see regular time in the lineup, as splitting them both between catcher and designated hitter makes a lot of sense as long as they’re both producing.
Either way, it should be comforting for Royals fans to know that Perez’s successor is already in Kansas City. Perez has been a staple in the Royals lineup for 15 years. Jensen, being only 22 years old, should hold down the position for the foreseeable future.
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