Carter Jensen capped his rookie season by winning both AL Player of the Month and AL Rookie of the Month for September. The 23-year-old catcher hit .338/.407/.788 with eight home runs, while leading MLB with 19 extra-base hits and a 1.194 OPS.

It’s not quite the same as watching the Royals (or Mariners) play baseball in October, but after this season I’m willing to grade on an extremely generous curve.

Jensen’s performance, along with the emergence of several other young Royals, offers genuine hope that October baseball may not be too far away.