Carter Jensen always dreamed of sitting in the catbird seat at Kauffman Stadium. The Kansas City native envisioned calling games for his hometown team — the Kansas City Royals — at a young age.
He had seen his idol, Salvador Perez, champion the role for multiple years. And now, Jensen had his opportunity Saturday night against the Minnesota Twins.
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Jensen caught the final two frames of the Royals’ 11-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. He started the game at designated hitter but shifted behind the plate to catch Royals relievers Luinder Avila and Sam Long.
It was a personal milestone. And perhaps, not even the biggest accomplishment of the night as he also recorded his first career hit.
“It was awesome, especially catching Avila,” Jensen said. “I’ve caught him since 2022. So super comfortable out there, especially with him coming in. And then I’ve been getting to know all the other relievers, all the other starters, how they like to pitch and stuff like that. So when Sam came in for the ninth, I was super comfortable there.”
Jensen celebrated the moment with his teammates. He received hearty congratulations from Perez and others after his first hit in the fourth inning.
Jensen faced former Royals pitcher Thomas Hatch. He was familiar with Hatch from their time together in the minor leagues. It was a good omen — Jensen ripped an RBI double to contribute to the Royals’ offensive outburst.
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He added an RBI groundout to finish his night.
“I caught Hatch in Triple-A, so I know him and I know his stuff,” Jensen said. “I kind of had an idea of how he wanted to pitch me. … At the end of the day, I just tried to see a pitch I could drive, put a good swing on it and stay within myself. Not try to do too much. That was the process.”
Perez grabbed the baseball after the milestone hit. He will return it to Jensen and his family for safekeeping.
“I saw the replay and saw him at the top step asking for the ball,” Jensen said. “It’s really cool. You know … he was my idol growing up. So to see him excited for me tells you a lot about how he is as a person.”
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It’s likely the baseball is ticketed for his childhood home. And it will be the first of many for him as a member of the Royals.
“We are going to case it up and probably give it to my parents so I don’t find a way to lose it,” Jensen said.
The Royals promoted Jensen from Triple-A Omaha on Sept. 1. He arrived as rosters expand for the final month of the season.
Kansas City Royals designated hitter Carter Jensen (22) celebrates with relief pitcher Sam Long (73) after the win over the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Sep 6, 2025 in Kansas City.
Jensen will get the chance to work with the pitching staff and prepare himself for the seasons ahead. Along the way, he will help the Royals make a late postseason push.
And that excites the Royals coaches and everyone in the organization.
“I’m really happy for Carter to get that first one,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, he had the walk the other day. But to get the first hit, two RBIs and get in there and catch as well. Just start checking some things off to make him feel more comfortable up here. We feel pretty confident he is going to hit. You know, he’s always hit, so that was nice for him. And that was a hustle double, too.”
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The Royals earned a series victory Saturday. Now, the club will go for a sweep and a winning homestand Sunday afternoon. And Jensen will have another chance to accomplish more firsts at Kauffman Stadium.