Carter Jensen's sudden drop sparks concern over Royals future plans

The Kansas City Royals are putting in all the efforts to create a solid team for the future. They had a few years of poor drafts and issues with training players, but they have made drastic changes now. Their farm system is turning in the right direction. New stars such as Jac Caglianone are giving hope. But not all young players are climbing quickly. One of the Royals' bright young stars, Carter Jensen , has slipped backward early in the 2025 season.

Carter Jensen's bat is quiet right now but changes are underway
Carter Jensen was once 77th on MLB Pipeline 's Top 100. He’s currently at eighty-eighth. It indicates that something isn't quite right. His statistics this year are lower than they have ever been.


He's batting only 228 with fewer walks and more strikeouts than normal. His strikeout percentage is now at 26.4%, and his walk percentage is now at 7.4%. These are his lowest statistics since 2021.

Despite an excellent 2024 season, Carter Jensen still slides under the radar.

Jensen's metrics under the hood are impressive so far this year, even if he's getting a bit unlucky right now. https://t.co/DBCSQDAsD5 pic.twitter.com/CEKKe3AZ08

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 10, 2025

But Jensen isn't being idle. He's experimenting. For years, folks complained he was too passive in the batter's box. Now he's swinging more, and the numbers reveal he's not missing by much. His swing and strike rates haven't changed much.


He's also hitting the ball to the other side of the field almost 40% of the time now. That's a huge improvement from last year, but it also translates to him pulling the ball less and his power stats declining.

Kansas City remains optimistic about Carter Jensen's future behind plate
Although his bat is not noisy currently, Carter Jensen is becoming more proficient at catching. He's made his glove work and receiving pitches better. A few weeks ago, he caught all nine innings of a no-hitter, which is a testament to how much faith the coaches have in him. He has also thrown out 28% of base stealers, which shows another good indication of improvement.


Coaches think he has what it takes to be a Major League catcher someday. The tools remain. He's merely going through a bad stretch. Adjustment to Double-A is difficult for many young players, and that could be one reason for his slow start. With time and hard work, Jensen may be back on track.


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