Coach Carter Jensen

Carter Jensen (KCR): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.

Rookie catcher Carter Jensen opened the scoring for the Kansas City Royals with a leadoff home run yesterday. Jensen’s 13th homer of the season was a 106.7 mph, 449-foot bomb and pushed him into the Top 5 at the position. The 22-year-old still has room for growth too, as he’s struggled at the plate, falling from a 0.75 BB/K in last season’s cup of coffee to a 0.33 BB/K this year. The key will be better swing decisions, as a 28.8% Whiff rate and an 87 Whiff Avoid value have held Jensen back from his full potential. The raw tools are there with a 91.2 mph average exit velocity and 74.0 mph bat speed.

The budding superstar has heated up recently, with six homers, 19 runs scored, 21 RBI, and a .287/.330/.530/.860 line in 27 games since the beginning of June.

Jensen has already proven himself to be a contender for American League Rookie of the Year in a crowded field. The ceiling here is sky-high as he could easily emerge as the top catcher in baseball and a Top 20 bat.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:

Dalton Rushing (LAD): 4-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.

If you weren’t already familiar with Dalton Rushing as a top prospect, chances are you’ve learned his name recently from his recent dust-ups with teammate Shohei Ohtani. Last night, however, Rushing showcased the skill set that earned him a starting job with the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in the first place. The 25-year-old catcher’s 104.5 mph home run was actually his weakest hit ball of the night, as he amped it up with 104.9 and 108.0 mph singles, and a 108.7 mph double later in the game.

 

Chandler Simpson (TBR): 3-4, 2 R, SB.

Will Chandler Simpson ever get his first career home run? Meh. With speed like this, who cares? Last night, Simpson notched his 20th stolen base of the year. After an out-of-character .211 batting average during June, his three-hit performance is also a welcome start to July. Simpson’s glove will keep him in the lineup as the Tampa Bay Rays attempt to hold onto the top spot in the American League, so deploy him without fear even though he has yet to hit his first career barrel.

 

Cedric Mullins (TBR): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

After a rough start, Cedric Mullins has dialled it up of late. Over his last 23 games since June 1st, Mullins has seven homers, three steals, 12 runs scored, 13 RBI, and a .289 batting average. That’s much closer to the Cedric Mullins we’ve become familiar with. His sprint speed has dropped from 28.4 ft/s (77th percentile) to 27.8 ft/s (63rd percentile) over the last year, so his days of 30+ stolen bases may be behind him. That said, Mullins is still a 20-20 threat and shouldn’t be overlooked if an impatient team cut bait to test out a younger talent.

 

Elias Díaz (TEX): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

35-year-old catcher Elias Díaz has quietly been on pace for the best season of his career. After being DFAed by the Royals in May, Díaz quickly signed with the Texas Rangers to step in for an injured Danny Jansen. His 20-game stint in the Lone Star State has started with a bang as Díaz has delivered two homers, 11 RBI, and a .333/.311/.455/.766 line. A newfound 74.9 mph bat speed appears to be the major culprit here and has put him on the radar in two catcher leagues. Pew. Pew. Pew.

 

Sal Stewart (CIN): 1-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.

Cincinnati Reds superstar Sal Stewart has emerged as one of the best young hitters in the game this season. Yesterday afternoon marked his 17th home run of 2026, and his 60th RBI moved him into a tie for second in the category. AL Rookie of the Year looks like a close race, but Stewart has been running away with the NL Rookie of the Year so far. That power, playing half of his games in Great American Ball Park, makes Stewart a must-have right now.

 

Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT): 2-4, 3B, R, 3 RBI.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez flew under the radar as a draft season sleeper, despite Top 100 prospect status, and he’s making those of us on the outside looking in regret it. Valdez opened the 2026 campaign with 13 home runs in Triple-A before he forced his way onto the big league roster. In the wake of his promotion, the 22-year-old has posted six homers, 12 runs scored, 15 RBI, and a .316 batting average over his first 19 games in the majors.

While there may be a small regression here where Valdez cools off slightly, the skills are legitimate. A 92.3 mph average exit velocity and 75.2 mph bat speed are very much in line with the raw power Valdez has become known for. In fact, his 112.7 mph triple was one of the hardest-hit balls of Thursday’s slate and marked a new maximum exit velocity (which he’ll surely break soon enough).

Garrett Mitchell (MIL): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.

Since June 1st, Garrett Mitchell has four home runs, 15 runs scored, 12 RBI, and a .329 batting average in 25 games. The Milwaukee Brewers outfielder appears to be coming into his own in his age-27 season, now one home run shy of his career high. The power outburst might be legitimate despite a .406 BABIP. Mitchell has dropped a 92.8 mph average exit velocity (93rd percentile), 13.6% barrel rate (85th percentile), 50.0% hard hit rate (88th percentile), and 77.1 mph bat speed (96th percentile). Yup. And those are all career highs. Pair that with his 29.7 ft/s sprint speed (97th percentile- yes, he’s a hair faster than Chandler Simpson, but without the elite baserunning skills), and you have a dangerous power-speed combo right now.

Nathan Church (STL): 1-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Yet another NL Central outfielder worthy of your attention, St Louis Cardinals center fielder Nathan Church has slowly improved throughout the season. Yesterday’s homer was just shy of a barrel, clocking in at 97.5 mph. An 86.2 mph average exit velocity and 70.2 mph bat speed suggest that the five homers Church hit through April 30th are likely an anomaly, but Church can certainly hit for average. Since that home run spree, Church has only hit two dingers, but recorded a 109 Contact+ and a .270/.317/.374 triple slash. That contact ability combined with a 28.5 ft/s sprint speed could open the door for some stolen base upside here as well. Church should be a solid backup plan in leagues where Valdez and Mitchell are long gone.

 

Willi Castro (COL): 1-3, R, 2 RBI.

Another player who’s been as hot as this East Coast heat wave has been Willi Castro. Castro’s RBI single tied the game for the Colorado Rockies in last night’s 14-4 blowout of the Miami Marlins. Unfortunately, the Rockies’ Swiss Army Knife was pulled from the game after a hit by pitch, but it appears that the move was precautionary and he shouldn’t miss any time.

Over his last 25 games since the start of June, Castro has four home runs, two stolen bases, 15 runs scored, 16 RBI, and a .281 batting average. With eligibility at every position except catcher, Castro is a readily available player who can fill a need for just about any roster.