Why Carter Jensen’s career night could be a sign of things to come for KC Royals
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Carter Jensen tallied three doubles as leadoff in Royals’ dominant 20-1 win.
- Royals scored seven first-inning runs, chasing Max Scherzer in under one inning.
- Kansas City matched .500 record, needing five wins to clinch winning 2025 campaign.
The Kansas City Royals celebrated their future stars on Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium.
Ahead of first pitch, Royals prospects David Shields and Carson Roccaforte were among those dressed in luxury suits to receive their organizational awards. It was also a chance for them to mingle with the current big-leaguers.
Rookie Carter Jensen was one of the top prospects honored. He received the 2025 George Brett Hitter of the Year Award — in his full Royals uniform — after posting a .290 batting average with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs in the minors.
And the reason he was already in his game attire?
Well, Jensen was penciled into the leadoff spot for the first time in his Major League Baseball career. It was a move Royals manager Matt Quatraro made with full confidence against future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.
“We feel really good about how he controls the (strike) zone, how he understands himself and how he puts up really quality at-bats,” Quatraro said before Friday night’s game. “He is swinging the bat extremely well. It gets him one more at-bat and one more crack at it when the lineup turns over.”
Jensen didn’t waste time in his new role. He hit a leadoff double — one of three doubles for Jensen in the game — off Scherzer in the first inning. Jensen became the second player in franchise history to have a three-double performance within his first 12 games.
The Royals’ offense followed right behind him. KC scored seven first-inning runs en route to a 20-1 victory over the Blue Jays.
“Two (doubles) in the first inning was pretty cool, especially against someone like Scherzer,” Jensen said. “He is one of the best pitchers to ever do it. But, I knew with that, I had to go into the game with a mentality like I can’t let him have that edge over me. I had to go up with confidence — not cocky confidence, just confidence in myself just to go out there and do what I know I can do.”
The Royals chased Scherzer, the former Missouri Tigers pitcher, from the game after just two-thirds of an inning. The Royals were aggressive early as six consecutive hitters reached to begin the game.
Here is how the first inning went:
After Jensen’s double, superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. drove him home with an RBI single. Then, Witt scored on first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino’s double.
This paved the way for third baseman Maikel Garcia to draw a walk before Royals captain Salvador Perez belted a three-run homer off Scherzer. It was Perez’s 30th home run this season — the 303rd of his career — and the fourth off his longtime rival.
“It’s a pretty good way to start a ball game,” Pasquantino said.
The Royals took a 5-1 lead. They were far from finished, however.
Adam Frazier continued the hit parade. He singled and later scored on Michael Massey’s two-run homer over the right-field wall. Scherzer was removed from the game — having allowed the seven runs — and the Royals batted around in the frame.
“Carter doing a great job right there starting us off,” Massey said. “I feel like it’s just as big as any game plan right there: just kind of bringing your game to him (Scherzer) and getting traffic on the bases and getting guys out of position.”
The offensive outburst came at a good time. The Royals aren’t mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but they can’t lose another game. And they have struggled this season to consistently drive in runs against quality teams like Toronto, owner of the AL’s best record.
Friday’s game showed how dangerous the Royals can be. And no matter what happens in this year’s playoff race, it’s a reminder of the kind of team KC is capable of being in 2026.
Royals’ offense: By the numbers
The Royals logged a club-record 27 hits against the Blue Jays. Every starter reached base and contributed in some fashion throughout the game, and KC batted around twice.
It was also the fourth time the club has scored 20 or more runs in a game in franchise history.
Pasquantino had four hits. In the third inning, he began another mini-scoring outburst with an RBI single. Massey finished with two hits and a walk. He has fared well since returning from the injured list.
“I just thought it was a really nice night of guys hitting line drives all over the field,” Pasquantino said. “There weren’t a lot of bloop hits. There was a few, but it was just a nice night of solid contact and that’s what you are searching for.”
Jac Caglianone got in on the fun with a three-run homer off Blue Jays position player-turned-pitcher Tyler Heineman in the seventh inning.
The Royals scored all 20 runs after the Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the first. Toronto slugger George Springer, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Friday, hit a leadoff home run off Royals starter Michael Lorenzen.
Lorenzen surrendered nothing else. He completed an efficient 7 2/3 innings to earn his sixth victory of the season.
“It was nice to put up that first inning,” Lorenzen said. “And then I just tried after that second inning to get the guys back in the dugout as fast as I could. Just kind of fill it up.
“I felt like they were going to be a little more passive, trying to take a breather. So I wanted to get it back as quick as I could and get the guys back hitting again.”
With the win, the Royals returned to .500 with a record of 77-77. They need to win five of their last eight games to finish 2025 with a winning record.
Royals’ injuries: Updates
The Royals placed top reliever Lucas Erceg on the 15-day injured list with right-shoulder impingement syndrome.
Erceg will miss the remainder of the regular season. He finishes the year with a 2.64 ERA in 61 appearances. In his stead, the Royals reinstated Steven Cruz from the injured list.
Additionally, the Royals got an encouraging report on right-handed starting pitcher Ryan Bergert. An MRI revealed that Bergert has a mild flexor strain and the Royals are confident he should be healthy for the start of spring training.
What’s next: The Royals continue their final home series on Saturday night. Rookie starter Noah Cameron (8-7, 2.98 ERA) will start against Blue Jays righty Shane Bieber (3-1, 3.72 ERA) at Kauffman Stadium.
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 9:45 PM with the headline "Why Carter Jensen’s career night could be a sign of things to come for KC Royals."
