Top KC Royals prospects relishes dream moment facing Salvador Pérez at spring training

The Kansas City Royals have a pair of top prospects set to form a battery in the minors this season, one that fans hope will eventually carry over to the big leagues. Pitcher Ben Kudrna and catcher Carter Jensen, both Kansas City-area products and members of the 2021 MLB Draft class, have risen through the system together to emerge among the Royals’ best prospects at their respective positions, but for a moment on the backfields of Surprise, Arizona, their journey took on a deeper meaning.

Facing Royals captain Salvador Pérez, Kudrna and Jensen had what Kudrna described as "one of the coolest moments of my life."

The two have been battery mates plenty of times, but this was different. Pérez has been the face of the franchise, the heart and soul of the Royals through some of their darkest days, including multiple 100-loss seasons. Yet, for Kudrna and Jensen, Pérez's greatest moments weren’t experienced from the dugout but from the stands.

Two KC Royals prospects have a dream moment in spring training

Kudrna, at just 11 years old, was in Kauffman Stadium for the 2014 Wild Card Game when Pérez ripped the game-winning hit down the left-field line against the then-Oakland Athletics. The following year, he attended an ALDS game against the Houston Astros before watching the rest of the World Series run on his phone as a middle school football manager. Jensen was in attendance for a World Series game in 2014, soaking in one of the most memorable games in franchise history.

In an interview with 96.5 The Fan’s Josh Vernier, Kudrna admitted to feeling nervous at first — but only for a moment. Then, it was back to business.

“Very few people get to do something like this,” Kudrna said. “That’s what made it cool. You’ll get people saying, ‘What’s so special about a back-field game?’ But it’s special. It’s something I can tell people for the rest of my life. When you grow up and you’re a fan of a team, you learn the culture of it and you get inspired, and then turn the page 15 years later and it’s your job to do that for others.”

Jensen echoed those sentiments, recognizing the significance of playing for his hometown team but also understanding the work ahead.

“Kansas City is all I’ve ever known,” Jensen said. “Baseball being my favorite sport growing up and the one I was always the best at, being part of this organization and hopefully making my debut at some point — it’s hard to put into words how much it means. I understand the work is just getting started.”

Kudrna and Jensen still have plenty of development ahead before they reach The Show, but being in big-league camp as non-roster invitees has its perks. Whether it’s sharing a locker room with MLB stars or facing top-tier competition, everything about this spring is helping them prepare for the future.

But for one moment in Surprise, two local kids got to live out a dream — facing the Royals legend they once cheered for from the stands.