As September begins, the Kansas City Royals are wasting no time shuffling the deck. The club is set to add some serious firepower for the final month of the season by calling up top catching prospect Carter Jensen, activating slugger Jac Caglianone, and bringing back right-hander Luinder Avila.
This round of roster moves comes as teams expand to 28 players in September, giving Kansas City a chance to blend youth, power, and pitching depth down the stretch.
Royals No. 2 prospect — and Kansas City native — Carter Jensen is being called up for the final month of the regular season. pic.twitter.com/4Tnw4yjcRj
— MLB (@MLB) September 1, 2025
Carter Jensen gets his shot
For Royals fans, this is the call-up they’ve been waiting for. Carter Jensen isn’t just another September addition; he’s the kind of prospect who can change the direction of a franchise.
The 22-year-old catcher grew up just miles from Kauffman Stadium, starring at Park Hill South High School before the Royals drafted him in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Since then, he’s been on a steady climb through the system, and 2025 has been his breakthrough season.
Across Double-A and Triple-A, Jensen has piled up 20 home runs while hitting close to .300 with an OPS over .875. In Omaha, he’s been even better, slugging nearly .650 in his last 43 games and consistently finding ways to get on base. What separates him isn’t just the power, it’s his plate discipline. He’s shown one of the most patient batting eyes in the system, drawing walks, forcing pitchers into mistakes, and punishing anything left over the plate.
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Behind the plate, Jensen has impressed with his framing and arm strength, giving him a real chance to stick as a long-term catcher at the big league level. For a team that has cycled through catchers in recent seasons, Kansas City is hoping he can settle the position for years to come.
The Royals also knew they would need to protect him on the 40-man roster this winter to avoid losing him in the Rule 5 draft. By calling him up now, the front office gets an early look at how he handles major league pitching while giving fans a glimpse of the future.
Jensen’s debut is more than just a roster move. It’s a moment Kansas City has been anticipating since the day they drafted the hometown kid. If he clicks, he could quickly become a centerpiece of the Royals’ rebuild.
Caglianone back from injury
Caglianone’s first taste of the big leagues earlier this summer was rocky, hitting just .147 in 41 games before a hamstring injury sidelined him in late July. Since then, the 6-foot-5 outfielder has been rehabbing in Triple-A, and the results have been impossible to ignore. He’s hit .385 with five home runs in just 16 games, including a jaw-dropping 451-foot shot on Saturday night.
Kansas City hopes that kind of power translates this time around, especially as they look to inject life into an offense that has been uneven throughout August.
Avila adds bullpen depth
Avila, 23, will rejoin the Royals after a short stay earlier this season where he tossed a scoreless inning against Washington. The righty has been inconsistent in Omaha with a 5.23 ERA, but he has shown flashes with 61 strikeouts across 53 innings. Kansas City will likely lean on him in middle relief, hoping he can bridge the gap to the back end of the bullpen.
What this means for Kansas City
The Royals still sit in the middle of the pack in the American League standings, but September call-ups often provide a spark. With the expanded rosters, Kansas City is betting that Jensen’s patience, Caglianone’s raw power, and Avila’s arm can help steady things in the final month.
For Jensen, the move also locks him into the 40-man roster, a step that was going to happen this winter anyway. For Kansas City, it’s more than paperwork; it’s a chance to see if the kid from Park Hill can live up to the hype on the biggest stage.
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