Kansas City Royals starter Noah Cameron never has to worry when he steps onto a bigleague mound.<\/p>\n
The left-handed pitcher who just completed his rookie season in Major League Baseball knows that No. 7 and No. 11 are right behind him.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a matter of convenience for the Royals standout. As many pitchers will agree, a good defense is the ultimate safety blanket. And the Royals have arguably one of the best infield duos in all of baseball.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, it\u2019s insane,\u201d Cameron said. \u201cI remember in Tampa, I think it was the first inning, (shortstop) Bobby (Witt Jr.) made probably the best play I\u2019ve ever seen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was behind me and I remember just smiling on the mound. I\u2019m just like \u2018Holy cow! I don\u2019t have to do anything up here besides let them hit it.\u2019 Hopefully it goes to somebody or it goes in somebody\u2019s general direction. It just changes the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Witt\u2019s reputation precedes him. His No. 7 Royals jersey is among the most popular in the league, which is befitting for a true superstar.<\/p>\n
And Witt\u2019s defensive running mate \u2014 Maikel Garcia \u2014 continues to build his own legacy. Garcia, who sports No. 11 on the field, emerged as a breakout star this year. He set career highs across the board and solidified his place as a focal point in the Royals organization.<\/p>\n
Each infielder \u2014 Witt and Garcia \u2014 has his own lane, things he does especially well. This offseason, the pair\u2019s excellent glove-work was rewarded with a golden, and later platinum, upgrade.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really cool and just so much easier to pitch,\u201d Cameron said.<\/p>\n
A platinum experience<\/b><\/p>\n
There were growing concerns early in Witt\u2019s career, questions about whether he could handle the defensive rigors of the shortstop position.<\/p>\n
In 2022, Witt committed a team-high 19 errors while splitting time at short and third base. At the time, the Royals rookie had a lot to clean up defensively.<\/p>\n
Witt took that to heart. \u201cYou are working to go out there and be able to help the team make plays,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Witt spent the following offseason refining his defensive skills. He always had the makeup to be a great defender, but the results hadn\u2019t followed. The Royals assisted him in various ways, including with a coaching change.<\/p>\n
The organization hired Matt Quatraro as its major-league manager in 2023. He brought in his own staff that included infield coach Jose Alguacil.<\/p>\n
Alguacil worked tirelessly with the entire KC infield. He drilled Witt, Garcia, Michael Massey, Vinnie Pasquantino and others on defensive fundamentals.<\/p>\n
There were funneling drills and footwork exercises and the Royals even put in extra time during spring training to better prepare for the rigors of a 162-game season.<\/p>\n
In the process, Kansas City\u2019s infielders blossomed defensively. And Witt saw a steady decline in his total errors \u2014 he had just 10 this season.<\/p>\n
\u201c(It\u2019s just) working on defensive stuff, just from the first step, making plays and making the routine plays routine,\u201d Witt said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s also just trying to stay locked in. \u2026 The biggest change is just being able to stay locked in every pitch. Just pitch by pitch and every game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Witt collected his second consecutive Gold Glove at shortstop this fall. He later received a Platinum Glove as the best defensive player in the American League.<\/p>\n
Since 2024, Witt has 40 outs above average. Additionally, he is the first Royal to win the Gold Glove twice at shortstop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really proud of everything that they\u2019ve done,\u201d Quatraro said, \u201cthat Josie (Alguacil) has done and the R&D (research and development) department has done to put them in good positions all the work they have put in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just such a big operation and a big project for what everybody sees on the field. I think that validates a lot of the processes we are doing, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Witt has a good chance to win his third Gold Glove next season. But he understands that his ability to defend at a high level wouldn\u2019t be the same without Garcia by his side.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaikel kind of motivated me to just try to make that left-side duo the best in the league,\u201d Witt said. \u201cThe way he was working also kind of motivated me. Just how well he plays third base and how well he does things. It\u2019s like, all right, I want to try to take some things from him just by watching how he does things.\u201d<\/p>\n
A golden rebirth<\/b><\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t take long to identify Garcia in a crowd. The Royals third baseman oozes confidence and stands apart in the way he approaches the game.<\/p>\n
Garcia is often considered a force multiplier. He can win games with his elite defense or on the basepaths with his legs. His competitive nature can be a net positive or net negative (if things aren\u2019t going well).<\/p>\n
In 2024, Garcia often referred to himself as the worst player in baseball. He struggled with .231 batting average in 157 games. His offense was inconsistent and he sometimes wore his emotions on his sleeve.<\/p>\n
The Royals stuck with his development. And his competitive fire kept pushing him back to the drawing board. Once there, he added a toe-tap to his batting stance and leveled out his swing.<\/p>\n
The changes finally clicking, Garcia pulsated to a memorable season. He made his first All-Star team and won the Gold Glove at third base. He was also a Silver Slugger finalist and received MVP votes down the ballot.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw my name there with nine votes and it was like a dream,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Witt admired Garcia\u2019s successful campaign. He said Garcia\u2019s confidence not only helped the team but also rubbed off on him defensively.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost like, \u2018Hit it to me and you are out,\u2019\u201d Witt said of Garcia\u2019s mentality at third base. \u201cAnd just seeing that from him is great. Just how both of us are out there every single day, just trying to get better at our game. \u2026 We want to know what we did wrong to get better and what we need to do to kind of be the best we can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garcia committed even fewer errors \u2014 eight total \u2014 than Witt in 2025. He began the season training to play in the outfield and then worked his way across the diamond. His defense was so great at third base that the Royals kept him there as his primary position.<\/p>\n
Garcia became the second Royal \u2014 since George Brett in 1985 \u2014 to win a Gold Glove at third base. He also led all AL third basemen in total chances (346), putouts (105) and fielding percentage (.980).<\/p>\n
\u201cThey gave me the opportunity to play just third base,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cThat was my goal. I played just one position because it\u2019s not easy to play a different position. I never did it before and I did it this year. I was tired in the first couple of games playing the outfield and coming to hit with the pitch clock. That was a challenge for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
A royal duo<\/b><\/p>\n
The Royals have quite the luxury on the leftside of the infield. Witt and Garcia will return for 2026 looking to add to their trophy case.<\/p>\n
Witt\u2019s has a shot of winning an MVP and Gold Glove next season. He has nearly achieved that rare feat both of the past two years. When the Royals line up for opening day against the Atlanta Braves, Witt will take his spot in the center of the diamond.<\/p>\n
Garcia will be right beside him. He\u2019ll be looking to replicate his All-Star 2025 season and help the club return to the postseason.<\/p>\n
The Royals\u2019 young duo arrived together. And now each could reach new heights as they push one another day by day and game by game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think our organization is lucky in that regard because there are 29 other teams that want that,\u201d Quatraro said. \u201cIt\u2019s very enviable, not only that they\u2019re Gold Glove players, but that they\u2019re young Gold Glove players.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey obviously both perform on the offensive side of the ball, too. So we\u2019re not just talking about one dimensional guys. We\u2019re talking about game changers. We\u2019re talking about guys that can influence the clubhouse and do this for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n