Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. commented on his teammate Carter Jensen.
The Kansas City Royals found themselves dealing with an unusual situation involving top prospect Carter Jensen, and franchise superstar Bobby Witt Jr. did not shy away from addressing it.
Jensen was scratched from Thursday’s lineup after oversleeping, an incident that quickly gained attention across the league. The Royals went on to lose 5-1 to the Minnesota Twins, and the ripple effects of Jensen’s absence were felt immediately.
Veteran catcher Salvador Perez had to step in behind the plate despite originally being scheduled to serve as the designated hitter, forcing a last-minute adjustment to the lineup.
“It’s something you got to do and take accountability for those types of things. I know it got a lot of publicity throughout baseball. It’s one of those things where baseball is a funny sport. He showed up later, late, but he was still here an hour and a half, two hours before the game,” Witt said when discussing the situation (h/t Anne Rogers of MLB.com).
He continued, “But also, he’s got to know and he’ll learn from it. He’s learned from it, just from that experience. I know that drive to the field was terrible, and now it’s just, you move on. That’s what baseball is. You have all these games, you learn from your failures and mistakes, and you got to move on from it. Those types of things hopefully make you a better player.”
Witt’s response reflects both accountability and leadership, something expected from a player of his caliber. Now in his fifth MLB season, Witt has established himself as one of the top players in baseball.
A two-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger, he has also finished in the top-five of American League MVP voting in each of the last two seasons. Since being selected second overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, he has lived up to every bit of the hype.
For Jensen, the incident is a learning moment early in what the Royals hope will be a long and productive career. Selected in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft, he is viewed as a foundational piece of the franchise and the catcher of the future. He has already taken accountability publicly, acknowledging the mistake and emphasizing his commitment to improving.
His slow start at the plate, with just two hits in 18 at-bats through six games, only adds to the backlash, but still, the sample size remains small.
Ultimately, Witt’s message made it clear that while mistakes happen, growth comes from how players respond. With both players expected to be key pieces of Kansas City’s future, the focus now shifts toward moving forward and building toward a shared goal of bringing a World Series title back to the organization.