The Kansas City Royals are off to a bit of a slow start this season. They dropped two out of three against the Atlanta Braves in their opening series, though they salvaged the finale on Sunday.
However, they have a much improved offense on paper after it let them down in 2025. They have a lot of young talent that is ready to take the next step.
Last season, catcher Carter Jensen burst onto the scene in September and gave the Royals a little bit of life before they were eliminated from postseason contention. Jim Bowden of The Athletic had an exciting prediction for Jensen before the season began, that he will earn American League Rookie of the Year honors at the end of the season.
Royals’ Carter Jensen Gets Exciting Prediction
“We have quite a few top prospects on AL rosters to start the season, but I give Jensen an edge because he has the added value of his position; the more he starts over Salvador Perez, the more I like the Royals’ chances to contend this year,” Bowden wrote.
Jensen had limited exposure to the major leagues last season, but he hit .300/.391/.550 with three home runs, 13 RBI and a .941 OPS. Playing him every day this season will give the Royals a chance to use Salvador Perez as a designated hitter rather than behind the plate.
Jensen is the future for the Royals behind home plate, so it makes sense to give him as much playing time as possible there. He brings power from the left side of the plate and has a lot of upside.
The Royals’ potential offensive improvement hinges on their younger players. If Jensen can take the next step forward, then the Royals will be in much better shape as they try to contend for a playoff spot after missing the postseason last year.
It will be interesting to see what Jensen can bring to the table. The Royals need him to pick up right where he left off.
He hit his first home run of the season on Sunday in their win against the Braves, so there is still a lot of hope for him to be able to help transform the Royals’ offense in 2026. We’ll see how much more he has left in the tank in what should be a very exciting rookie season for him.
The Royals need him if they want to improve offensively.
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