The Royals will have a decision to make about how to divide catching duties between Carter Jensen and Salvador Perez in 2027.
And one thing became clear in 2026: Jensen thrived in his role.
After taking over as Kansas City's primary catcher during his first full Major League season, Jensen has given the club more flexibility in how it uses Perez, who spent much of 2026 at designated hitter because of an elbow injury.
"I think Carter has stepped up into that [primary] spot, and I think what's best for us is what's going to be best for Salvy," manager Matt Quatraro said last week.
That doesn't mean Perez's catching days are behind him.
"If Salvy is hitting and producing, he's shown that he can be a really viable option in the middle of the order, whether that's DH, play a little first [and] obviously he's going to catch," Quatraro said.
Before 2022, Perez regularly handled a workload of 115 to 146 games behind the plate, excluding seasons affected by injury or the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. However, the Royals aren't necessarily expecting Jensen to take on that same workload just yet.
Jensen appeared in 106 games behind the plate in 2026, including 97 starts, after catching just 10 games during his first Major League stint in 2025.
But even with Jensen's increased responsibility, Quatraro emphasized that the club isn't ready to commit to a specific number of games for either catcher.
"Some of that is a variable that we don't really know yet, based on how [Perez] feels and also how Carter holds up to the everyday [workload]," Quatraro said.
The 23-year-old’s emergence has been encouraging for the Royals, particularly considering the questions surrounding his defense earlier in his professional career.
While Jensen's bat drew plenty of attention throughout his rookie campaign, hitting a team-leading 27 home runs and breaking Bob Hamelin's franchise single-season rookie record of 24, he also made significant strides in handling a Major League pitching staff.
And right-hander Michael Wacha had a firsthand look at that progress.
"It was a lot of fun throwing to Carter this year," Wacha said recently. "I probably only had a handful of starts with him last year, and so being able to build off of those going into Spring Training earlier this year, he caught me quite a bit in Spring Training.
"From 2025 to 2026, seeing the steps that he made, behind the plate, not even talking about his bat, but just throwing to him behind the plate was just night and day.”
Jensen finished the season with plus-3 catcher framing runs and plus-2 catcher throwing runs, according to Statcast. His framing ranked 16th among catchers.
Wacha particularly loved Jensen's curiosity, whether it was understanding a pitcher's preferences, preparing a game plan or adjusting to a Plan B midgame.
The veteran, who made 32 starts and surpassed 200 innings for the first time in his career, even entrusted Jensen with calling his pitches, occasionally shaking him off when he wanted to go in a different direction.
"He grew so much throughout the season, and just very impressed with the amount that he's improved behind the plate," Wacha said. "Whether that's pitch framing or blocking, throwing guys out. He is an incredible talent, and glad that he's on our squad."
Part of that development has come from learning alongside Perez, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner who has spent more than a decade handling Kansas City's pitching staff.
A Kansas City native, Jensen grew up watching Perez behind the plate at Kauffman Stadium, including during the Royals' World Series runs in 2014 and '15.
Now, Jensen continues to take advantage of the opportunity to share a clubhouse with the player he once idolized.
"He's got the keys to the city. I mean, he's Mr. Kansas City," Jensen said during Spring Training. "Even growing up, watching him play, now playing alongside him, there's not enough good things to say."