The Kansas City Royals are collapsing. With an 8-2 loss to the surging Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, they fell back to .500 and dropped to six games back in the American League Wild Card race. They still have a key series with the Seattle Mariners starting next week, but it’s crunch time for the Royals, as that series could ultimately determine whether they still have life or will be buried in the race.
However, not all of 2025 has been a letdown for the Royals. Several players have stepped up into larger roles and given this team a boost when needed. On the pitching side, young left-hander Noah Cameron has burst onto the scene and been one of the Royals’ most dependable starters, especially with Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo dealing with injuries.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed every team’s hidden gem, and for the Royals, Cameron was named.
“The southpaw went at least six innings in each of the first five starts of his MLB career, allowing a combined total of three runs. Maintaining that sub-1.00 ERA was never going to be plausible, but he’s impressively sitting on a 3.00 mark after 21 starts and 120 innings pitched,” Miller wrote.
“A’s slugger Nick Kurtz is going to win AL Rookie of the Year by a landslide, with Roman Anthony and Jacob Wilson destined for most of the second-place and third-place votes. But if there was just a “Rookie Pitcher of the Year” award, it’d be a compelling race between Cameron and Chicago’s Cade Horton.”
Cameron has made 21 starts with the Royals this year. In those starts, he has gone 7-7 with a 3.00 ERA and 3.2 WAR. He also has logged 120 innings, posted a 1.117 WHIP and struck out 96 batters this year.
As Miller notes, Cameron won’t be named the AL Rookie of the Year, but he should at the very least garner some consideration, even if Kurtz wins the award. The 26-year-old left-hander has stepped up for Kansas City and plugged holes in the rotation when they have needed him.
His impact has certainly been felt this year, and it will be interesting to see what comes next for him in the future. He could very well be the next ace of the Royals’ starting rotation.
More MLB: Could Royals Reunite With All-Star Slugger To Boost Offense For 2026?
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