Carter Jensen’s breakout has reached a new marker, and the Royals rookie keeps stacking up reasons to believe the surge is real.
Jensen tied a Royals rookie record with his 24th home run, and manager Matt Quatraro didn’t waste words on what that meant.
“That’s a phenomenal record,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We know that he’s been on a tear here offensively as of late.
So good for him. Not only that, but it tied the game.”
The production has been loud lately. Jensen has 13 hits, five home runs and 10 RBIs in September, and he’s now sitting atop all American League rookies in extra-base hits with 57 and doubles with 31. He also ranks second among AL rookies with 71 RBIs and third with 24 home runs.
Royals starter Randy Dobnak put it even more plainly.
“He’s swinging the (expletive) out of it,” Dobnak said. “He can do it pretty well.
And what he’s been doing is what he’s been doing all year. I mean, this month, he has four or five pumps.
Just swinging it really well.”
The offensive push from Jensen wasn’t the only notable development around Kansas City. Bobby Witt Jr. added another line to his own season, starting with an infield hit and then swiping second for his 40th stolen base of the year. It’s the second time in his career he has reached 40 steals, after finishing with 49 in 2023, and he’s now one of just five players in franchise history with multiple 40-steal seasons.
With 13 games left in the regular season, Witt is also within reach of a rare power-speed combo. He needs two more homers to become the third player in franchise history with a 20 home run/40 stolen base season. His 2023 line of 30 homers and 49 steals, along with Carlos Beltran’s 2003 season of 26 homers and 41 steals, are the only examples so far.
There was more good news on the lineup front Sunday when Jac Caglianone returned.
“Yeah, definitely feel better,” Caglianone said pregame. “You know, with these, it’s different for everybody going through them.
So I’m glad there was no IL (injured list) or anything like that. Still a few games left in the year, so I’m excited and very happy to be back.”
On the mound, Seth Lugo also got back in the win column Friday after leaning on his four-seamer early. He threw the pitch 38% of the time in his first trip through the order, and it produced 6-of-9 first-pitch strikes, according to Baseball Savant.
“I think, you know, it makes the hitters be a little more aggressive,” Lugo said. “So then, the spin and off-speed pitches tend to work better when they’re trying to hit fastballs. So we were trying to challenge early in the count and make sure they are quality pitches.”
Sunday brought a tougher result for Noah Cameron, though his outing still drew praise from Quatraro.
“He battles, that’s probably his Number 1 characteristic,” Quatraro said. “He’s exceptionally competitive and he’s been on a really good run here lately the way he throws the ball. He has a lot of confidence and we have a lot of confidence in him.”
Cameron worked 85 pitches and threw 57 strikes, using his slider more than usual. He also had to navigate a rough opening.
“Obviously, a long first inning. I was thankful to get out of there,” he said.
Elsewhere in the Royals’ orbit, Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep wrote that Jensen is becoming a long-term star for Kansas City. Payton Tolle threw an immaculate inning in the first against the Royals, and the Quad Cities River Bandits won Game 1 of the Midwest League Championship Series.
Around baseball, former Royals pitcher Matt Strahm had knee surgery. The Brewers and Rays clinched playoff spots.
Giants slugger Rafael Devers is out for the year with a core muscle injury, and the Diamondbacks designated outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for assignment. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his first home run in Toronto this year, while other topics on the baseball calendar include the decline of starting pitcher innings, whether Justin Verlander will make one more start this year for the Tigers, and whether Jose Altuve can get to 3,000 career hits.
The Athletics interviewed Mike Rizzo and Billy Owens for their GM job, and the Giants ownership situation remains complicated.
Beyond baseball, the source also noted a report on how the system traps and exploits Dominican baseball players, Alexander Zverev’s win over Ben Shelton in the US Open, and USA’s fifth straight women’s FIBA World Cup title.
In Other News...
Royals Have 2 Obvious Offseason Fits For Their Biggest Lineup Flaw
The Royals have taken a step forward at the plate this season, but the on-base problem is still hard to ignore. Even with the improvement from 2025, Kansas City has lingered near the bottom of the league in walk rate, and that lack of traffic has kept too many innings from building into something bigger. It is the kind of flaw that can drag down a lineup even when the bats are doing enough in other areas.
That is why the offseason points toward a clear type of upgrade rather than a broad makeover. Brandon Lowe and Randy Arozarena both fit the profile of established hitters who work counts and reach base, and both are heading toward free agency as they enter their age-32 seasons. For a Royals club trying to turn more solid at-bats into more scoring chances, players who can steady the middle of the lineup and force pitchers to work a little harder will be worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Jac Caglianone Is Back But Royals Still Have A Lineup Problem
Jac Caglianone was back in the Royals lineup against the Boston Red Sox, taking on designated hitter duties after recovering from a Grade 1 left elbow flexor strain. It was a welcome sight for Kansas City, which has been waiting to get its slugger back in the middle of the order, especially with the kind of production he has brought this season at the plate.
Matt Quatraro said the club is still being careful with Caglianones throwing ability, which means the Royals plan to keep rotating him at DH with Salvador Perez for now. That helps ease him back into action, but it also leaves Kansas City sorting through how to keep both bats in the lineup while managing the rest of the roster around them. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Put Themselves In A Hole With A Brutal First Inning
The Royals dug themselves into an early hole Friday night when Boston left-hander Payton Tolle came out firing and never really let Kansas City catch its breath. The first inning set an uncomfortable tone for the home side, with the Red Sox starter working efficiently from the jump and later settling in for six shutout innings while striking out seven in a 4-1 Boston win.
It was the kind of game Kansas City could not afford to let get away, especially with quality starts on both sides and little margin for error. The Royals stayed within striking distance for most of the night, but Boston broke through with key runs in the seventh and eighth innings, turning an already frustrating start into a loss the Royals will probably look back on as one that got away early. [Read more 🡒]