Carter Jensen #22

Jensen resides in Kansas City, Mo...Graduated from Park Hill Senior High School (Mo.) in 2021, where he was named a Perfect Game Preseason All-American as a senior...He had committed to play baseball at Louisiana State before signing with KC...Was the highest-drafted catcher by the Royals since MJ Melendez was selected in the second round (52nd overall) in 2017 out of Westminster High School (Fla.).

2024

Earned his first invitation to Major League Spring Training before splitting his season between High-A Quad Cities (84 games) and Double-A Northwest Arkansas (41), driving in 67 runs, the third-most among Royals farmhands...Began the year with High-A Quad Cities and batted .338 (26-for-77) with 12 RBI and more walks (22) than strikeouts (19) in April...Was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on July 15 after posting a .295 batting average (13-for-44) and three home runs in the first half of July with Quad Cities...Struggled to a .188 average (16-for-85) in August but finished the season strong with a .326 clip (15-for-46, 1.069 OPS) and four homers over 12 September games...He batted .425 (17-for-40) with a 1.382 OPS in 12 games for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League...Participated in the AFL Home Run Derby, where he competed against fellow Royals farmhand, Jac Caglianone, as well as Moises Ballesteros (CHC), Josue Briceño (DET), Garrett Martin (NYY), Kala’i Rosario (MIN), Brock Wilken (MIL) and Peyton Williams (TOR).

2023

In 2023, Jensen spent the season with High-A Quad Cities, playing in a career high 116 games and slashing .211/.356/.363 (84-for-399) with 20 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 45 RBI and 92 walks, tied for the second-most in High-A behind Seattle’s Harry Ford (103)...Had a strong July, slashing .267/.389/.453 (20-for75, .842 OPS) with 14 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, two home runs, nine RBI, one stolen base and 14 walks...Notched eight extra-base hits in 21 August games, driving in 10 runs with a .766 OPS.

2022

He earned Low-A Carolina League All-Star and Columbia Player of the Year honors in his second professional season in 2022, slashing .226/.363/.382 (89-for-393) while recording 66 runs scored, 24 doubles, 11 home runs, 50 RBI, 83 walks (ranked third in the Carolina League) and eight stolen bases...Per FanGraphs, he became the first 18-year-old in the minors since 2006 (since data is available) to record at least 10 home runs and at least 80 walks in a single season.