MLB Pipeline Expert Has Big Praise for Royals Rookie Catcher

The Kansas City Royals did not have much to cheer about in a 69-93 season that left them last in the American League Central, but catcher Carter Jensen gave fans one of the best reasons to feel good about where the team is headed.

MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis put Jensen seventh in his yearly ranking of 2026 rookies based on long-term value, which came out this week, and the list looks past one season by weighing age, track record and projection, and Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin and Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle took the top two spots.

Callis pointed out that Jensen is just the fifth rookie catcher to combine at least 27 homers and a 120 OPS+, joining Rudy York in 1937, Earl Williams in 1971, Matt Nokes in 1987 and Mike Piazza in 1993.

He then pushed the comparison even further in his ranking for MLB.com.

"Jensen is a better defender behind the plate than all of them and younger than all but Williams, who edged him by 11 days," Callis wrote.

That is strong company for a player coming off his first full season, and Jensen earned it by hitting .239 with 27 home runs, 35 doubles and 81 RBIs over 149 games while pairing that power with a .323 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging percentage.

People have already started to ask whether he is one of the best catchers in baseball, and a ranking like this one makes that question easier to answer.

Jensen caught 106 games and started 97 of them behind the plate, while also playing 42 games at designated hitter.

Catcher Salvador Perez, who made his debut with the Royals in 2011, caught 44 games this season and spent most of his time at designated hitter with 82 games there, along with 25 games at first base.

That shift is a big deal for a franchise where the catcher spot has belonged to Perez for so long, because having a younger player who can handle the job every day gives the Royals more freedom with him.

There has already been talk about whether the team should lean on Perez at designated hitter next season, and Jensen's year makes that idea much easier to picture.

There is plenty of work ahead this winter after a last-place finish, but this list points to one spot that already looks settled.

Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is a finalist for American League MVP, and having Jensen behind the plate gives the Royals two young players to build around at key spots on the field.

Callis also ranked Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo right behind Jensen at No. 8, which shows how high the bar was for a spot on this list.

I would hand Jensen the starting catcher job right now and let the front office spend its time and money on the outfield and the pitching staff.

He has already shown the power, and if the defense is as good as Callis says, Kansas City found a catcher it can count on for years.