Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals, MLB, Ranking: 2

“Watts the Deal”

Carter Jensen was born in Kansas City on July 3rd, 2003. Wow, that sentence makes me feel old. In today’s spotlight, we will be highlighting his journey from his days in high school, college, minor leagues, and major leagues.

Park Hills High School in Kansas City, Missouri, is where Carter began making waves on the baseball scene. In 28 games as a junior, Carter had a .341 batting average with 8 doubles, 3 home runs, and 21 runs batted in. That season, he committed to LSU. In 2015, he fell in love with LSU while watching them play in Omaha, Nebraska. His senior season was more of the same, with a .387 average and 25 RBIs.

2021 began his major league journey, as he was selected in the 3rd round of the MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Instead of going to LSU, he decided to play baseball for his hometown team! How many players get to do that? One thing to note about the decision by Kansas City: Carter was on the Royals Scout Team during summers. The Royals Scout Team is a grassroots program for select players. The Royals were aware of what Carter could do and were excited to draft him.

Carter began his prospect rankings as the 17th-best prospect in the Royals system by MLB in 2022. That year saw an underwhelming average but solid hitting skills in Jensen’s first season at Low-A Columbia Fireflies. He stood out for his plate discipline, drawing 83 walks that season, and earned a spot on the Carolina League All-Stars.

2023 saw a big power jump, with increases both in home runs and slugging. He began the season in High-A with the Quad Cities River Bandits. Figuring out that he didn’t want to be a bandit, he progressed to Double-A with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals to end the season—and this is where he began and ended his 2024 season. During that year, he built solid consistency at the plate.

2025 saw a HUGE jump in progression. At Double-A, he began his ascent to being very good at the plate. He batted .292 with 6 HR and 37 RBIs. That quickly earned him a selection as a Texas League All-Star, and he was chosen to play in the MLB Futures Game. Carter also earned a promotion to Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, where he continued to excel at the plate.

After 153 at-bats in Triple-A, the Royals had seen enough to promote him to the show! In only 60 at-bats, Carter displayed the same hitting prowess that earned him the call-up. He hit a .300 average, walked 9 times, struck out 12, and even belted 3 home runs. Not too shabby for a player who, at first, was expected to play second fiddle to his teammate, Blake Mitchell. “How do you like me now?”

Carter, ranked as the #2 catcher prospect by the Dynasty Guru, has a very bright future at the position. He grades out as a solid defender. While Salvador Perez isn’t getting pushed off the position entirely this season, it will only be a matter of time before Carter takes over. In the meantime, he will split playing time at catcher and DH. At Carter’s peak, I see a .280 hitter with 20+ home runs and an excellent BB/SO ratio. Carter deserves your attention in all dynasty leagues.