Carter Jensen is turning a rookie season into a record book rewrite.
The Royals catcher added two more home runs Friday night in Kansas City’s 12-9 loss to the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium, giving him 26 and 27 on the year. He did it while catching all nine innings, and he did it from a spot in the lineup that makes the whole thing look even more unusual: leadoff.
Jensen has now hit 20 home runs while batting first and playing catcher, the most in MLB history by a wide margin. The total is eight more than anyone else has ever produced in a career in that role combination.
“That’s not your normal catcher.”
He’s also piling up milestones at a pace that keeps pushing him into bigger and bigger company. Friday’s two blasts gave him 61 and 62 extra-base hits, moving him past Mike Piazza’s 61 for the most by a rookie catcher in MLB history since at least 1947.
Jensen’s 27 homers are already the most ever by a Royals rookie, and his five RBIs in the loss were a career high. He drove in all five in three at-bats, tying the game each time.
“To me, that means the hard work’s starting to pay off. But understanding that this year for me personally has been a lot of growth, on the field and off the field as a person and as a player,” Jensen said.
“Not letting it stop there is the biggest thing. Just continue to keep climbing and keep putting my best foot forward each day.”
The numbers keep stretching across the Royals’ record book, too. Jensen leads the team with 81 RBIs and is on pace to join Bob Hamelin and Bobby Witt Jr. as the only Royals rookies to lead the club in a single season. He trails only Carlos Beltran and Kevin Seitzer for the most RBIs by a rookie in Royals history.
“Just shows the kind of player that he is and the player that he’s going to be for a long time,” said starter Noah Cameron. “We are super thankful that he’s on our team. He just keeps doing it every night.”
Among American League rookies, the Kansas City native leads in extra-base hits and doubles with 33. He’s second in RBIs and third in total bases with 242 and home runs. In September, no rookie in the majors has more extra-base hits than Jensen’s 17, and his eight homers this month are tied for second in the AL.
He’s done all of that while playing 148 games and catching 105 of them, and his second-half OPS sits at .868.
“Just sticking to my approach. I know I say that for everything, but I’m just having faith in myself that I can come through in those big moments,” Jensen said.
“The sky’s the limit if I stay calm, relaxed and just trust in myself, trust in the work that I put in. Ultimately, good things will happen.”
The surge has come with Jensen taking over everyday catching duties from Salvador Perez, the captain he grew up watching during the Royals’ 2015 World Series run. Perez is still very much part of the story, though.
He homered again Friday, launching his 21st of the season to the Royals Hall of Fame building in the ninth inning for his second straight day with a long ball. It was the 324th homer of his career, tying Gary Carter and Lance Parrish for fifth all-time among primary catchers. Only Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Yogi Berra have hit more.
“Everything. I don’t think I’d be where I am right now if it weren’t for him,” Jensen said of Perez.
“That swing was amazing. … He’s the definition of never give up and keep going.
It’s been incredible to work beside him.”
In Other News...
Royals Waste A Special Night Fans Wont Soon Forget
Denny Matthews reached a remarkable milestone at Kauffman Stadium on a night built for appreciation, calling his 8,000th career game in the ballpark where he has long been part of the Royals identity. The organization marked the occasion with signage, fan tributes and a salute from the dugout, turning a regular home date into a celebration of one of the most familiar voices in franchise history.
Carter Jensen helped give the evening real juice, with the rookie catcher launching two home runs and setting a rookie catcher record for extra-base hits. But the Royals could not finish the job, as the bullpen surrendered five runs in the ninth inning in a 12-9 loss to the Guardians, leaving a special night with a sour ending. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Final Weekend Has One Breakout Story Fans Need To See
Noah Camerons last start of the year was a rough one, with Cleveland tagging him for seven runs, six earned, over five innings, but the Royals still had plenty else to talk about in the final weekend. Carter Jensen, meanwhile, turned the spotlight onto himself with a two-homer showing that added to a breakout stretch and put his name in the record book, with franchise and MLB rookie catcher marks for extra-base hits and home runs now attached to the young backstop.
The broader weekend also carried plenty of significance beyond the box score. Denny Matthews is set to call his 8,000th game behind the Royals microphone, a staggering milestone for a voice that has defined the franchise for generations, and Bobby Witt Jr. was named the clubs nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, a reminder that the seasons final chapter still has room for both achievement and recognition. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Witt Jr. Has An MVP Problem Royals Fans Will Hate
Bobby Witt Jr. has put together the kind of season that usually puts a player squarely in the MVP conversation, with his value showing up in every corner of the game and his WAR placing him among the American Leagues best. For Royals fans, though, the frustration is familiar: the award race is never just about how good a player looks in isolation, and Witts brilliance has been unfolding on a team that has not stayed in the playoff picture.
The problem is the same one that tends to haunt players in Kansas City and elsewhere when the MVP discussion gets serious. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are again setting the standard at the top of the ballot, and history usually favors either the player with the louder statistical edge or the one attached to more team success. Witt has done his part, but the path to the trophy is crowded, and it leaves the Royals waiting for the broader recognition his season deserves. [Read more 🡒]