KANSAS CITY -- Carter Jensen is rewriting the history book for what a rookie catcher can do.
Batting leadoff? Closing in on 30 homers? Extra-base hit machine? Those aren’t qualities associated with players also catching nearly every day as a 23-year-old navigating his first taste of Major League pitching.
Well, it perfectly sums up Jensen, who is not only making a late run to set as many records as possible, but also proving he belongs in the American League Rookie of the Year conversation.
Jensen clobbered his 26th and 27th homers of the season in the Royals’ 12-9 loss to the Guardians on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium while catching nine innings behind the plate.
He’s now homered 20 times while batting leadoff and playing catcher, which is eight more such home runs in a career than anyone else in MLB history.
That’s not your normal catcher.
“He’s driven. We talk about it all the time. He works, he’s committed, he wants to be better,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “I know he’s had a really good season. I mean, anytime you pass Mike Piazza in something, that’s pretty impressive. We talk about his growth on the defensive side of the ball as well, but overall, he still wants to be better. He’s not satisfied.”
With two more homers on Friday, Jensen notched his 61st and 62nd extra-base hits of the season, passing Piazza (61) for the most by a rookie catcher in MLB history since at least 1947. Jensen’s 27 dingers are already a franchise record for a rookie, and his five RBIs on Friday set a career high in a single game. The five came 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.”
There’s not a lot of room left to climb on the leaderboards Jensen is tearing down, though. His 81 RBIs lead the Royals, and he’s on pace to join Bob Hamelin (1994, 65) and Bobby Witt Jr. (2022, 80) as the only Royals rookies to lead the club in a single season. Jensen trails only Carlos Beltran (108 in 1999) and Kevin Seitzer (83 in 1987) for the most 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.”
The Kansas City native ranks first among rookies in the American League in extra-base hits and doubles (33), second in RBIs and third in total bases (242) and home runs. Jensen’s 17 extra-base hits lead the Majors in September and his eight homers are tied for second-most in the AL this month.
Jensen has done that while playing in 148 games and catching 105 of those, all while getting better with an .868 OPS in the second half.
“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.”
Jensen’s rapid rise has come while he’s taken over everyday catching duties from captain Salvador Perez, who Jensen watched growing up during the Royals’ run to a World Series in 2015. But the 36-year-old isn’t going anywhere, either.
Perez blasted his 21st homer of the season to the Royals Hall of Fame building in the ninth inning for his second deep fly in as many days. It was the 324th of his career, matching Gary Carter and Lance Parrish for the fifth most by a primary catcher in MLB history. Only Piazza (427), Johnny Bench (389), Carlton Fisk (376) and Yogi Berra (358) have more.
“Everything. I don’t think I’d be where I am right now if it weren’t for him,” Jensen said of what Perez has meant to him in his young career. “That swing was amazing. … He’s the definition of never give up and keep going. It’s been incredible to work beside him.”