By MATT PIKE
As the Major League Baseball regular season closed out on Sunday, the league announced its final monthly awards with Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen being named both the American League Player and Rookie of the Month for September.
The 23 year old Jensen becomes the first catcher in Royals history to earn American League Player of the Month honor, which was established in 1974. It also marks the second straight month a Royal has won the award, following Jac Caglianone in August. It's just the second time Royals players have won Player of the Month in consecutive months, following Hal McRae and George Brett in May and June 1982, respectively. Jensen is also the fifth Royal, and the seventh overall instance, to earn American League Rookie of the Month honors and the first since Eric Hosmer in September 2011.
Across 21 games in September, Jensen slashed .338/.407/.787 with 10 doubles, eight home runs, and 20 RBIs. He led Major League Baseball during the month in doubles, extra-base hits, slugging percentage, and OPS. Jensen’s 63 total bases led the American League and were eight more than the next-closest player. His eight home runs tied for second most in the American League and his 20 RBIs fell two shy of league leaders Pete Alonso and Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino who each drove in 22 runs.
Jensen also reached base safely in 19 of 21 games in September and hit safely in 17 of 21 games. He recorded his second career multi home run game on September 2nd against the Miami Marlins and added his third last Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians, a game in which he set a career high with five RBIs. Jensen had a streak during September in which 12 straight hits went for extra bases, which set a new franchise record. Jensen also, on September 19th, broke a tie with Bob Hamelin for the Royals rookie record of home runs in a season hitting his 25th.
Jensen finished the 2026 season with 35 doubles, the third most in the American League, and led the Royals in extra base hits, home runs, and RBIs while finishing second on the team in walks. Jensen’s 64 extra-base hits were the most by a rookie catcher since 1947, breaking a record previously held by Mike Piazza since 1993.
Jensen is the 12th player, and the 14th overall occurrence, to win both the Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month Awards in the same calendar month.
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