How local product Noah Cameron pitched in his spring debut with the Kansas City Royals
Noah Cameron instantly recalled one of his earliest Royals memories. And it happened to involve a school field trip.
At age 5, Cameron traveled to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City with his classmates from Eugene Field Elementary in St. Joseph. They were all excited to see the Royals in action.
Cameron can still picture the day in his mind. He recounted some of the details this week, including walking on the field and meeting some KC players that day.
“I actually remember being at (former Royals pitcher Zack) Greinke’s debut,” Cameron said. “I was 5 or 6 and we actually had a field trip.
“That was probably my coolest memory of being there. We got to walk down on the field and Greinke was warming up in right field. I remember trying to get him, yelling, ‘Zack! Zack!’ and he waved at me.”
On Friday, he added his own personal Royals achievement by pitching in his first major-league spring training game.
The Royals utilized Cameron in a relief role. He followed starter Daniel Lynch IV in Kansas City’s Cactus League opener against the Texas Rangers.
Cameron threw 13 pitches in a scoreless outing. He showcased an advanced feel for his off-speed pitches in his spring debut.
“Just enjoy kind of where I’m at,” Cameron said of how he’s approaching his time in camp. “You know, it’s a lot different vibe, especially being over in the other locker room to here and it’s been awesome.
“Being around the guys, Bobby (Witt, Jr. ) and Salvy (Perez), and the guys I looked up to my whole life, it’s been really cool ...”
Cameron was added to the 40-man roster this winter. He is considered one of the club’s top prospects and has a good shot of making his big-league debut this season.
For now, he looks forward to contributing any way he can.
“We are trying to earn a spot,” Cameron said. “If that doesn’t happen, that is totally OK. Whatever the team needs me to do to earn that spot, or a different spot ... they know that I am all for it.”
Other members of the Royals’ pitching staff have raved about Cameron. Last season, he took a significant step at Triple-A Omaha, posting a 2.32 ERA in nine starts. He showcased sharp command in dominating the strike zone.
“I think keeping hitters off-balance, for sure, is how I pitch,” he said. “I obviously lean more on my off-speed stuff a little bit more than my fastball.”
Royals manager Matt Quatraro has been impressed, too. On Friday, he saw Cameron face hitters in a game setting for the first time.
“It was good to see him out there,” Quatraro said. “I mean, he was composed and really efficient. They were aggressive swinging the bat and he was throwing strikes.”
Cameron looks forward to his next spring appearance. He’s creating new memories in Royals camp while living out his dream.
“They have reassured me a ton of times that, ‘You are going to be helping our team out in some capacity,’” he said. “Just definitely knowing that is encouraging, and definitely gives me confidence, knowing that they believe I should be there.”
