Carter Jensen had another big game on Saturday.
The Kansas City Royals endured an extremely difficult game on Saturday. The ball club lost 13-4 to the New York Yankees on the road. Almost nothing went right for the team in the contest. However, Carter Jensen continued to display his intriguing potential.
Jensen went 2-3 at the plate to go along with a home run. He continues to make a significant impact in his rookie season. Jensen is surely going to be a serious American League Rookie of the Year candidate.
Through 20 games played, the 22-year-old is now hitting .237/.303/.508 to go along with five home runs. The batting average and OBP are not great, but his overall numbers are impressive for a catcher. Additionally, his power numbers are impressive for any rookie -- regardless of position.
It has been far from an ideal start to the new campaign for Kansas City. The Royals are tied for last place in the American League Central standings with a 7-14 overall record. The ball club had lofty expectations for the season heading into the campaign, but things have not gone according to plan.
It is still early in the year, though. The good news is that Carter Jensen looks like a future star.
What Went Wrong vs. Yankees on Saturday
Noah Cameron got the start for the Royals against the Yankees on Saturday. He did not find too much success, however. The southpaw ultimately turned in four innings of seven-run baseball (five earned runs). His defense did not help him in the outing for the most part.
Six more runs scored following Cameron's departure. Kansas City's pitching and defense struggled in New York on Saturday.
For the Yankees, Will Warren had almost no trouble. He only allowed two runs in seven innings of work. Warren also struck out 11 hitters in what was an electric performance.
For the Royals, Jensen had the only multi-hit game. He also hit Kansas City's only home run. Michael Massey did add two RBIs and a hit in the contest. Overall, Kansas City had seven hits en route to their four runs scored. It was not a terrible offensive game, but you are not going to win many contests when you give up 13 runs.
The Royals and Yankees will play once again on Sunday in New York. The Yankees now hold a 2-0 series lead, so Kansas City is hoping to avoid a sweep.