The Royals have plenty of catching depth, but how will they decide who their backstop of the future is?
The Kansas City Royals are currently dealing with a problem that many teams don't have. It is a good problem, but still something Kansas City will need to figure out. The Royals have plenty of catching depth, with Salvador Perez leading the way in MLB. Meanwhile, three of Kansas City's top 10 prospects in 2025 were catchers -- two of whom checked in at No. 1 and 2 on the team's top prospect list.
Catcher Carter Jensen was the team's No. 1 overall prospect in 2025. The 22-year-old ended up making his big league debut during the season, hitting .300 across 20 games played. Blake Mitchell, another catcher, was the team's No. 2 overall prospect. Catcher Ramon Ramirez was Kansas City's No. 9 overall prospect.
Catching depth certainly is not an issue, especially as far as the future is concerned.
Royals' Catching Prospects
Jensen's MLB ETA was set for 2025. Sure enough, he debuted in the league. While it was a limited sample size, the backstop displayed his potential to say the least. In addition to hitting .300, Jensen crushed three home runs and turned in a .941 OPS.
Jensen's power is the most exciting facet of his game. He's still developing as an all-around hitter and defensive presence, but Jensen has the potential to become MLB's next star catcher.
Mitchell, 21, also offers impressive power. He's also probably a better defensive backstop than Jensen. In fact, Mitchell's throwing prowess from behind the plate may be his best skill, as it is rated a 70 grade on MLB.com.
Jensen and Mitchell have similarities in that they both hit left-handed but throw right-handed. Jensen's ceiling is arguably higher, but Mitchell's is not far behind.
Ramirez, who is 20 years old and bats and throws right-handed, doesn't offer quite as much power as Jensen and Mitchell, but he still could become a respectable home run hitter. He also has a good arm. For many teams around the MLB world, Ramirez would likely be their top catching prospect.
So, who will replace Perez in Kansas City with the Royals once the 35-year-old nine-time All-Star retires? Well, it remains to be seen, but the Royals unquestionably have plenty of options. Of course, they could have players switch positions down the road.
For now, the Royals have three catchers with serious potential in their farm system, and there are not many teams in the league who can say the same.