Royals Banking Too Heavily On 22-Year-Old Sluggers To Drive Offense
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As the offseason begins approaching its finish, the Kansas City Royals seem to be preparing for a youth movement.
Though they've consistently been linked to potential offensive upgrades all winter, the Royals seem to be close to admitting defeat. On Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic indicated that Brendan Donovan and Jarren Duran, Kansas City's two most frequently rumored trade targets, were likely out of reach.
"Barring further moves, the Royals expect to rely heavily on offseason acquisitions Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas in their outfield, as well as rookie Jac Caglianone and holdover Kyle Isbel," wrote Rosenthal.
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Why Royals are asking too much from Jensen, Caglianone
Barring a last-minute change, it would seem that Caglianone would project as the Royals' everyday right fielder against right-handed pitching, and Jensen would be on the opening day roster after only appearing in 20 games as a rookie last year.
Caglianone slashed .157/.237/.295 in his 62 games last year after sprinting through the minor-leagues as a 2024 first-round draft pick. Jensen, meanwhile, had an early taste of success, putting up a .941 OPS in 69 plate appearances.
Jensen's situation is unique, because he's a catcher, and will have to sit behind future Royals Hall of Famer Salvador Perez about half the time this year. Sure, he might get some designated hitter at-bats too, but it's tough to produce offensively without everyday reps, and a backup catcher also typically is counted upon to provide excellent defense and game-calling.
In some ways, Caglianone might be more prepared to step into the role than Jensen, despite the obvious disparity in their small-sample stats last year. Rookies often need to fail a bit before they can sustain their success, and while the league clearly had Caglianone's number from the jump, it will inevitably adjust to Jensen as well.
Either way, the Royals are asking both to be real contributors when they've yet to prove they can do so. That's not an ideal situation to put youngsters in on a team with hopes of contending for a playoff bid, but that's the way the cards have fallen for the Royals on the hot stove.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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