Carter Jensen gave the Royals another reason to circle his rookie season on Saturday night at PNC Park, launching his 25th homer to establish a new Kansas City first-year record.
The 23-year-old catcher turned on a third-inning offering from Pirates rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler and sent it out for a solo drive. It moved Jensen past Bob Hamelin, whose 24 homers had stood as the franchise rookie mark since the strike-shortened 1994 campaign.
Quick facts
- Jensen hit his record-setting 25th home run Saturday at PNC Park.
- The solo homer came in the third inning against Pittsburgh rookie Bubba Chandler.
- He passed Bob Hamelin’s previous Royals rookie record of 24 home runs from 1994.
- Jensen leads Kansas City with 25 homers and 76 RBIs.
- Entering Saturday, he was batting .233/.320/.450 across 143 games.
Jensen has supplied the biggest power production in the Kansas City lineup while handling the grind behind the plate. His 76 RBIs also lead the club, underscoring how often the rookie has been in the middle of the Royals’ offense.
The record carries a hometown touch. Jensen is a Kansas City native who attended Park Hill High School before the Royals selected him in the third round of the 2021 Draft.
Hamelin’s 1994 total had survived for more than three decades. Jensen now owns the top spot, with the rest of the season still available for him to add distance between himself and the old mark.
