Royals' offensive improvements rest in the hands of a pair of 22-year-olds

The Royals were in a unique position in 2025. They were firmly in the hunt to make it to October baseball, while also catching a glimpse of their future cornerstones materializing before their eyes.

The hype around the eventual call-up of young slugger Jac Caglianone was palpable. The buzz around the city and in the stadium was nothing short of electric.

Cags was crushing minor league pitching, hitting .322 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and .357 at Triple-A Omaha. Meanwhile, the Royals’ offense was one of the worst in the league and was dead last in home runs for long stretches of the season.

There were tangible baseball reasons to bring Caglianone up, but the combination of Jac’s learning curve and the Royals’ inability to ease him into his role resulted in a disastrous rookie season.

Caglianone played 62 games (52 in right field, 10 at first base, and seven at DH) and finished with a .157/.237/.295 slashline with seven home runs and 18 RBIs.

Cags’ poor start to his career suddenly became old news once Carter Jensen, Kansas City's number one-ranked prospect, was called up to the major leagues.

Jensen was another anticipated debut, being a KC kid playing in the stadium he grew up watching ball games. His meteoric rise through the minors in 2025 was a revelation for the organization.

Jensen hit a very respectable .259/.359/.450 with an .809 OPS in 125 games between High-A Quad Cities and Double-A in 2024, but found a different gear in 2025, hitting .290/.377/.501 with a .878 OPS.

Unlike Caglianone before him, Jensen’s debut was like a Sunday stroll through Loose Park. He was afforded the ability to hit at the bottom of the lineup with virtually no pressure on his shoulders.

By his arrival in September, apathy was beginning to set in among Royals fans, as the vision of a crisp, long October postseason run seemed more like a mirage on a deserted island with no lifeline.

Nevertheless, Jensen’s energy and professional at-bats brought much-needed optimism about the expectations for the Royals in 2026. He finished his first stint in KC, hitting .300/.391/.550 with three home runs and 13 RBIs.

His early success was jarring, and it was apparent he brought the vibe the clubhouse needed. It also allowed Caglianone to focus on improving without a microscope pointed at him.

Caglianone was a .131 hitter in 61 ABs in July before he was put on IR and called back up in September with Carter Jensen. On his return, his average improved by 52 points, and his OPS was 123 points higher than before the injury.

The Royals are excited about Jensen’s potential in the lineup and still have faith that Caglianone can turn into the power threat they envisioned him to be.

National media haven't lost faith in him either, with MLB Network's Harold Reynolds and Matt Vasgersian providing more support for the young right fielder.

Still, if the Royals can’t strike a deal to land a bat like Jarren Duran or Brendan Donovan, will there still be too much pressure on two 22-year-old (soon to be 23-year-olds, but you get the point) kids to produce like MLB vets?

Royals are asking a lot from two youngest players if deal for additional bat falls through

As it currently stands, the Royals have not gained any traction on landing an All-Star-level player to the roster. Jarren Duran, Brendan Donovan, and Harrison Bader have all been names linked to the Royals, but no moves have been made.

This will directly affect Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen, two hitters who need to hit towards the bottom until proven otherwise. Adding an All-Star hitter in the middle or the top of the order will only make the lineup longer and more difficult for opposing pitchers to navigate.

Jensen saw his best numbers when he hit sixth (.364 AVG/.636 SLG) and eighth (.333 AVG/.708 SLG) in the lineup. Caglianone as well, slashing .261/.320/.435 with a .755 OPS from the seven hole.

As of right now, the Royals’ Opening Day lineup could look like this:

There’s no question that an All-Star like Duran or Donovan would make a division crown feel like a birthright to Royals fans. Until that news materializes, it will be players like Caglianone and Jensen who will need to find their footing at the back end of the lineup to make this team postseason worthy.

Jensen only had 69 plate appearances, and Cags will begin his first full season as a big leaguer. We still don't know their full potential yet.

Learning more about the Royals' best young players at the major league level is exciting, but Royals fans have grown past excitement and want another World Series ring.

An additional bat almost seems essential to take pressure off those guys. If the Royals are serious about competing for the AL Central crown, they need exhaust all options to bring in another veteran bat for the middle of the order.

Finding ways to shed more payroll could be the hold up in the process after acquiring lefty reliever Matt Strahm and his $7.5 million salary.

It's dangerous to depend on two "babies" in terms of MLB experience to produce for you every day. We saw last year that the Royals' offense did not have enough firepower to have realistic goals of competing in the playoffs.

I'm expecting a rebound from Caglianone and an encore performance from Jensen, but the Royals would be doing them a disservice by putting too much pressure on them to be hot out of the gate.