Noah Cameron delivered a strong performance on Friday night, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Kansas City Royals out of their slump. Cameron tossed six scoreless innings against Seattle, but the Royals’ bats went quiet in a 2-0 defeat. The loss is Kansas City’s fourth in a row, and their ninth in the past 10 games.
Cameron’s Career-High Strikeouts
Cameron’s outing began with a challenging first inning, as he had to navigate a double and a walk with only one out. However, he managed to escape the jam with back-to-back strikeouts and settled into a groove. He matched his career high of eight strikeouts, a feat he previously achieved against the Guardians on Sept. 9, 2025. Despite allowing four hits and two walks, it was a performance that both Cameron and the Royals needed to see.
“We’re definitely feeling it, but definitely looking forward to getting back in the win column,” Cameron said.
Royals Offence Stalls
While Cameron shone on the mound, the Royals’ offence failed to provide any support. They managed just four hits, all singles, and were shut out by Seattle. The lack of run support spoiled Cameron’s strong outing and contributed to the team’s mounting losses.
Adjustments and Counterpunches
Cameron’s sophomore season has presented challenges after a strong rookie showing in 2025. Through his first eight starts this season, he had a 5.40 ERA. Pitching coach Brian Sweeney noted the league has adapted to Cameron, and the introduction of the ABS [Challenge System] has changed hitters’ approaches.
“What kind of adversity did he have last year? Not much, right?” Sweeney said. “He maybe got hit around a couple of times, but it was his rookie year, and he had a great year. This league adapts. And not only that, but the ABS [Challenge System] came in, so hitters have different approaches now. They understand his pitch mix a little bit more, where he misses and where he throws strikes. Across the league, walks are up. They’re being more selective. So that kind of messed with his game. The league counterpunched against him, and he has to make his counterpunch.”
On Friday, Cameron found success with his curveball, generating five whiffs on six swings. The Royals’ defence also provided crucial support, turning double plays. “Got some double plays, which I was getting a lot last year, and I haven’t really been getting a whole lot of ground balls for them to be able to work,” Cameron said. “They came up big.”
Mechanical Tweaks
Cameron has been working on his mechanics to recapture the form he displayed last year. According to Baseball Savant, his arm slot has dropped from 58 degrees last year to 50 degrees this year entering Friday’s start. The Royals believe this is related to Cameron’s torso plane rotation, and they are using biomechanical data to help him improve.
As the Royals continue to seek solutions amidst their struggles, Cameron’s performance offers a glimmer of hope. He is picking himself up, getting more consistent with his mechanics, and getting the arm slot in the right spot.