Carter Jensen's recent Royals record should continue to silence position change talks

While the Kansas City Royals may potentially be playing a impossible game of catch-up down the stretch, there's been a few names that have stood out all season, one being their rookie backstop Carter Jensen. After a standout September big league debut last season, Jensen has followed that up with a respectable .719 OPS with 19 homers and 61 RBI in his first full campaign with the Royals. And after hitting that 19th homer this weekend in their series against the Cleveland Guardians, Jensen now holds the Royals rookie primary catching record for home runs in a season.

On top of just being an impressive young run producer, Jensen has been a godsend for Kansas City amid what's been the extreme decline of previous catching stalwart, Salvador Perez. While he may have his defensive limitations as rookie, primarily a first percentile -11 blocks above average behind the plate, he hasn't been all bad. In fact, he holds above-average marks framing, caught stealing above average and pop time, making him look more like a solution to Perez starting his ride off into the sunset.

However, some of these defensive limitations along with some sizeable minor league catching depth has had some, including ESPN's Jeff Passan raising the question of whether Jensen's long term future will come behind the plate. Passan argued earlier this month that perhaps the Royals could be forced to move Jensen to the outfield with prospect names like Blake Mitchell and Ramon Ramirez working their way up through the system.

However, while moving a proven MLB talent elsewhere that's not nearly poor enough defensively to warrant a position change is already an odd strategy, the stats have proven this season that Jensen is a better bat when behind the dish.

He's been exceptional offensively when catching, perhaps with Rookie of the Year-worthy numbers at the position, so why mess with something that's giving you solid production at the end of the day?

After all, it's not as if the Royals couldn't use all the help they could get in 2027 and beyond in their pursuit of inserting themselves back into the competitive scene. Mitchell and Ramirez won't give them that next season, and nor should they. The Royals need to continue to nurture their development.

Carter Jensen also gives Royals plenty of versatility in batting order for 2027

On top of being the heir apparent to Perez behind the plate, Jensen has also solved a lot of lineup related questions on any given night. Jensen has appeared in every single spot of the batting order besides Bobby Witt Jr.'s untouchable second spot. And looking a little deeper, the Royals have used him primarily as their lead-off and five hole hitter this season - two spots that help unlock the rest of the order.

For some time now, the Royals have been clamoring for someone of value to hit in the lead-off spot and while Jensen isn't an other-worldly talent there, a 107 wRC+ with his level of run production is nothing scoff at by any means. In fact, while his .220 AVG may not look prototypical for the one-hole, the alternative for pitchers looking to pitch around him is throwing to a perennial MVP hopeful in Witt. With the offensive profile he's built up, that could be a daunting task.

The other area he's hit in plenty is fifth in the order. For years, Royals fans have struggled with a real disconnect between the top and bottom half of the order, with Silver Slugger-caliber names like Witt, Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia not having anyone else in the order help build upon any momentum they might create. If Jensen can slot in at a middle-of-the-order place like fifth, it only helps lengthen the lineup and create more offensive opportunities elsewhere.

The Royals have room to get creative with Jensen when it comes to the lineup. However, in order to do so, for the time being at least, it would appear he needs to be at the familiar position of catcher to do so. At the very least, he needs to be given a full season of run as the primary backstop from Opening Day onwards to continue to prove it.

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