The Royals opened their final road series of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the timing matters because September has not brought them a series win yet. Kansas City is trying to leave the month on a better note, and it starts with Game One: Randy Dobnak against Paul Skenes.
Dobnak has gone 3-4 with a 2.73 ERA, while Skenes is 10-11 with a 3.78 ERA. Game Two brings Noah Cameron against Bubba Chandler, and Game Three pairs Michael Wacha with Lake Bachar. The matchups give the Royals a chance to lean on the rotation pieces that have carried much of their second half.
The main reason the Royals can still feel encouraged is Carter Jensen. He has been their top September hitter by wRC+ at 246, well above his career September mark of 199, and he has forced his way into the conversation as one of the month’s best bats. He is top 20 in September in average, OBP and slugging, owns the second-best OPS in September behind Elly De La Cruz, and shares the best slugging percentage with De La Cruz at.843.
The power is the part that jumps off the page. Jensen leads all batters in September with a.490 ISO, and 14 of his 18 hits have gone for extra bases. That is a rare kind of production for any hitter, let alone a young one trying to carry an offense through a rough month. The Royals have had a tough season after entering with playoff expectations, but Jensen’s surge gives them a real middle-order threat when they need one most.
There is still a catch. Kansas City has not won a series in September, even with Noah Cameron and Randy Dobnak putting together strong second halves and Michael Wacha continuing to serve as old reliable. The rotation has given the Royals enough to stay in games, but the results have not followed, and this trip offers one last chance to change that before the road schedule ends. If the Royals are going to finish September with a series win, they will have to do it in this set, with Game Two and Game Three now carrying even more weight.
