The Torch Has Been Passed to Carter Jensen as the Royals’ Backstop
As hard as it might be for the Royals to admit, it's the right time for their legendary catcher to pass the torch to a talented young rookie.
When Carter Jensen woke up the morning of November 2, 2015, he likely arose from his bed with a smile on his face.
The night before, the 12-year-old Jensen watched his hometown team, the Kansas City Royals, defeat the National League’s best New York Mets 7-1 to close out their second World Series title. That fateful night symbolized an exclamation point to a remarkable season for so many Kansas City fans like Jensen.
As soon as All-Star reliever Wade Davis struck out Wilmer Flores, the world champs stormed the field. And as it does every year, the FOX broadcast immediately began showing the reactions and celebrations of the victors. Key performers such as Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and many more were shown in jubilation as their wildest dreams had finally become reality.
There was one name, however, and one big grin that shined slightly brighter in that dogpile. That big grin belonged to Royals backstop Salvador Perez.
In 2015, Perez had quickly become the face of the Royals franchise. He excelled behind the dish, collecting his third Gold Glove in a row while quarterbacking the team’s defense. Salvy also continued to grow offensively, as he eclipsed 20 home runs for the first time in his career and captured his third All-Star appearance.
And to cap off his phenomenal campaign, Perez did not just win the World Series; he was named World Series MVP. He boasted an .846 OPS in the Fall Classic and launched two homers in the five-game matchup.
By 25 years old, Perez had already cemented himself as a household name in Kansas City with his performance during the Royals’ magical run. Despite all of this, however, his legacy extends far beyond his 2015 World Series performance, as his leadership, longevity, and impact on the Royals franchise have defined an entire era of Kansas City baseball.
The Legend
Following the triumph of 2015, the trajectory of the Royals took a sharp turn for the worse.
The 2016 and 2017 seasons were an incredibly disappointing encore to their World Series victory, as the team failed to finish above .500 in the regular season either year.
Soon after, the Royals saw key cogs such as Hosmer and Cain depart from the organization in free agency for massive paydays with other ballclubs. It quickly became apparent to all that the party of 2015 was over, and it was now time to clean up the mess.
By 2019, the Kansas City Royals finished with an astoundingly poor record of 59-103. You could count on one hand how many players remained from the 2015 World Series roster, as essentially all of the key pieces had up and left for greener pastures.
The one remaining star was Salvador Perez.
Perez did not just stay with the Royals through the hardships of the late 2010s and early 2020s; he captained the ship. As the club’s performance took a downturn, his play only improved.
Salvy consistently produced strong offensive seasons, particularly as a power hitter, regularly ranking among the league leaders in home runs and OPS by a catcher. His power peaked in 2021, when he hit 48 home runs, setting what was then the MLB single-season record for the most home runs by a primary catcher.
Additionally, he captured six more All-Star appearances (reaching nine for his career), two more Gold Gloves (reaching five for his career), and his five Silver Slugger Awards.
However, Perez’s legendary status in Kansas City extends far beyond statistical production and accolades. He brought just about as much value to the city off the field as he did on the field.
He was the one reliable glimpse of sunshine in a dark decade of disappointment and failure. He gave Royals fans something to cheer for. His lovable nature and jovial grin that he seemingly always wore made it so easy for fans to fall in love with the character of their star catcher.
Furthermore, Perez has offered much of his time and money to the Kansas City community throughout his career. He participated in numerous charitable initiatives, and his commitment to youth development and the fight against life-threatening diseases earned him the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award.
And to cap all of this off, in 2023, the organization officially named him the fourth captain in franchise history, only adding to an already remarkable legacy.
The importance Salvador Perez has to the city of Kansas City, let alone the Kansas City Royals, cannot be overstated. He has been a consummate professional both on and off the field and a class act for all those in the organization to follow.
Although Kansas City baseball fans have not had much to celebrate since their parade in 2015, they have always been able to take pride in calling Salvador Perez a Royal.
The Hometown Kid
Carter Jensen was selected in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Park Hill High School in Kansas City. The Royals went overslot to pry him away from his commitment to powerhouse LSU, making it apparent just how highly they regarded the 17-year-old.
As soon as Jensen put pen to paper, the organization eagerly celebrated the arrival of “The Hometown Kid.”
As the Royals welcomed Jensen into the organization, the young catcher entered the final stages of a journey that he had been pursuing since childhood: turning his lifelong dream into reality by donning the Royals’ blue at Kauffman Stadium.
The final stages of that pursuit were especially daunting, as Jensen has one of the most difficult player profiles to develop in minor league baseball.
The mystery of successfully developing a high school catcher is one that has eluded organizations throughout the sport for years, and for good reason. Not only must they learn to hit professional pitching, but they must also learn to manage a professional pitching staff while simultaneously refining their defensive skills — all as teenagers. It is one of the most grueling developmental paths in baseball.
The start to his pro ball career was met with trials and tribulations, as Jensen saw wild swings in terms of production and slowly crawled his way up to High-A by 2024.
It was then, in his age-20 season, that Jensen hit his stride. The youngster hammered 18 homers and saw his OPS rise past .800 for the first time in his pro career across High-A and Double-A. Quickly, Jensen rose through the Royals prospect ranks into the top tier.
By the start of 2025, it became quickly apparent that he had grown past Double-A baseball and was deserving of a promotion to Triple-A. While playing for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate, the Omaha Storm Chasers, Jensen really turned heads across baseball. In 43 games, he swatted 14 baseballs over the wall and reached an astounding OPS of 1.051.
So when it came time for the Royals’ September call-ups, promoting Jensen to make his MLB debut was a no-brainer for the organization.
After four years of grinding and perseverance, Carter Jensen made his childhood dream a reality by making his major league debut for Kansas City on September 2, 2025. And when he stepped into that clubhouse, one of the first faces he likely saw was the familiar grin of his childhood hero, Salvador Perez, welcoming him to The Show.
The Passing of the Torch
As soon as Jensen made his debut, he quickly made his presence known to Kansas City fans, putting together an impressive September in which he posted a .941 OPS over 20 games. It soon became clear that the Royals had found the heir apparent to their legendary backstop in the hometown kid.
Leading up to the 2026 season, there was a buzz of excitement surrounding the Royals roster. The reason for that optimism was perfectly symbolized by the team’s situation at catcher, where the blend of a promising young talent and a trusted veteran created an encouraging outlook for the season. Fans hoped that both generations of the roster would thrive and help lead the franchise back into championship contention.
That exciting blend, however, has not produced the success Royals fans envisioned during spring training.
The Royals currently sit at 38-59, positioned in last place in the American League Central. Injuries and underwhelming performances from several of the team’s most prominent players have played a major role in the club’s struggles.
Sadly, for Royals fans and baseball fans alike, it is becoming increasingly difficult not to place the captain near the top of the list of the biggest disappointments of the 2026 season.
The 36-year-old Salvy just finished a dreadful first half. He owns a .593 OPS and a negative fWAR, making him one of the least valuable players in baseball statistically. Not long ago, Perez seemed like an ageless wonder with several more productive years ahead of him. Now, however, it appears Father Time may have finally caught up to the Royals icon.
On the other hand, Jensen appears to be trending in the opposite direction. After a slow start to his first full MLB campaign, he began to find his stride as the Missouri weather heated up.
On June 6, Jensen began what would become a 20-game hitting streak, setting a Royals franchise record for a rookie. Altogether, he has posted a .724 OPS and 1.4 fWAR through the first half of the season.
In addition to the disparity in their offensive performances, Jensen has accumulated 12 more starts behind the plate than Perez as of the All-Star break. The reasons for this are obvious, as the five-time Gold Glove winner has clearly lost some of his defensive prowess and now grades out quite poorly behind the dish.
Conversely, Jensen has only improved defensively during his first few years in professional baseball and has provided positive value behind the plate.
All of this has led Royals fans—and baseball fans in general—to begin to say the quiet part out loud: It is time for Salvador Perez to pass the torch to Carter Jensen as the Royals’ backstop.
The emotional magnitude of a decision like this cannot be understated when a franchise, its franchise player, and the franchise’s fans have shared a bond spanning more than a decade.
The heartache Royals fans would experience watching Perez walk off the field for the final time would be comparable to what Yankees fans felt when Derek Jeter walked off the diamond for the last time or what Red Sox fans felt watching David Ortiz take his final at-bat at Fenway Park. That is how much Salvy has meant to this organization and its fans.
That, however, is how our national pastime has worked for well over a century now. A franchise icon can never wear the jersey forever, and eventually, no matter how great and important that player may be, there will always be a younger player to come take the place of the veteran. It is the beautiful cycle of the game we love.
Salvy has devoted his career to setting the standard for what it means to be a Kansas City Royal, both on and off the field. And if the time has truly come for Jensen to become the Royals’ everyday backstop, it is that standard that he will spend the rest of his career in Kansas City striving to uphold.
Back on the morning of November 2, 2015, a 12-year-old Carter Jensen likely woke up with a smile on his face after watching his childhood hero celebrate a World Series championship and a World Series MVP. A decade later, he has the opportunity to live out that same childhood dream, not only by donning the Royals’ blue, but by sharing a clubhouse with the man he grew up idolizing: the Royals’ captain. And soon enough, Jensen will have the honor of becoming Salvador Perez’s successor, carrying forward the legacy of a player on the Mount Rushmore of Kansas City baseball.
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