The Royals may not have gotten the season they wanted, but they’ve gotten something else worth watching: real progress from Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen.
That was on full display Thursday in Kansas City’s 7-3 win over the Miami Marlins, when the young duo carried most of the offense. Jensen came within a single of the cycle, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, triple and double. Caglianone chipped in 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Caglianone’s season has turned into the kind of breakout the Royals were hoping to see. The 23-year-old is hitting .284/.333/.497 with an .829 OPS, and he leads the club in batting average, home runs with 23 and RBIs with 69. After a rocky rookie year, he’s answered with a much stronger showing and has kept building on it all season.
Jensen has been just as encouraging in his own way. After his strong debut month last September, the catcher entered his rookie season with expectations, and he’s shown why he drew that attention. He’s hitting .231/.316/.442 and sits second on the team with 22 home runs and 67 RBIs.
September has started fast for Jensen, too. Over his first 12 at-bats of the month, he has already launched three home runs and driven in six runs.
For a Royals season that hasn’t gone according to plan, Caglianone and Jensen have given the team something to hang onto. Their production has stood out, and Thursday was another reminder that Kansas City has some real offensive talent taking shape.
In Other News...
Royals Suddenly Have A Jac Caglianone Concern They Can't Ignore
Jac Caglianones night ended almost as soon as it began, and for a Royals club already trying to steady itself, the sight of him leaving Tuesdays game against the Blue Jays with left elbow soreness before the third inning was the kind of development that can hang over everything else. Kansas City still played a tight one, falling 4-3 in a game shaped by quality pitching and timely hits on both sides, but the bigger concern for the dugout was clearly Caglianones health.
The Royals now have to sort out what his elbow soreness means for the next stretch, with Randy Dobnak lined up to start the next game and Toronto still to announce its starter. Even in a one-run loss, these are the moments that can shift a teams immediate plans, especially when a young player leaves early and the training staff suddenly becomes part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Craig Kimbrels Royals Exit Was More Alarming Than It First Looked
Craig Kimbrels brief Royals outing against the Marlins looked like a routine midgame bullpen change at first, but the scene on the mound told a much more serious story. In the kind of heavy summer conditions that can wear down even the best-trained arms, Kimbrel was dealing with heat-related illness during a game Kansas City eventually won 7-3.
The weather did not offer much relief, with first-pitch conditions sitting at 97 degrees and about 50 percent humidity. Kimbrel had recorded only two outs before leaving, and the odd sight of a veteran reliever exiting so abruptly raised the kind of concern that goes beyond one bad inning, even on a night when the Royals handled the Marlins comfortably. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Fans Have Every Right To Be Frustrated After This Loss
The Royals had spent a lot of time lately enjoying the matchup with Toronto, but Mondays 4-3 loss in Kansas City was a reminder that the Blue Jays can still turn a game on a few sharp swings and a few costly mistakes. Seth Lugo ran into trouble early, the defense gave away too much, and Kansas City could never quite settle the game down even after the scoreboard started to tighten.
Kazuma Okamoto was a constant problem throughout the night, putting together a big four-hit performance and helping fuel the Blue Jays rallies whenever the Royals looked ready to answer back. For a club that had ridden a five-series winning streak in this matchup, the frustrating part was familiar enough: the chances were there, the game was there, and the little breakdowns kept adding up in the wrong places. [Read more 🡒]