Noah Cameron’s month of August didn’t just turn heads in Kansas City - it put him in line for American League hardware.
The Royals left-hander was named AL Pitcher of the Month on Thursday after a dominant stretch that followed a notable change in how he worked. Cameron began calling his own pitches on July 24 against the Detroit Tigers, and the results came fast.
In five starts last month, Cameron, 27, put together a 1.87 ERA. He gave up seven runs over 33 ⅔ innings, threw a complete-game shutout against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 16 and also ran off a 19-inning scoreless streak in August. He led the AL with 6 2/3 innings per start and became the first Royals pitcher since Seth Lugo to post at least four wins and an ERA under 1.90 in a single month.
“I don’t know if I can name a guy that flipped the switch like that, but it’s great to see,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said.
Picollo also pointed to Cameron’s growing willingness to attack the zone, saying, “He’s definitely more committed to the strike zone and that’s why the accountability of calling his own game plays a factor.”
Cameron’s rise came with another bit of Royals history. He joined teammate Jac Caglianone, who was named AL Player of the Month, giving Kansas City a sweep of the league’s monthly awards. It’s the fourth time that’s happened for the Royals, and the first since July 1985, when George Brett and Brett Saberhagen were honored.
Even in Wednesday’s start against the Miami Marlins, a game in which he allowed four earned runs, Cameron showed the kind of edge that has made the difference. In the fifth inning, he struck out two hitters to leave a pair of runners stranded in scoring position. Afterward, he talked about the mindset behind the step forward.
“Even with the stretch in August, I think I’m just tired of giving up runs,” Cameron said. “Tired of just kind of giving in. I think at the beginning of the season, I was kind of giving in there, just giving up those runs that are on.”
That sharper approach has teammates talking, too. Royals catcher Carter Jensen said Cameron has grown into someone who knows not just how to throw, but how to finish at-bats and work through lineups.
“His stuff has improved a ton,” Royals catcher Carter Jensen said. “But I think, as a pitcher, (it’s) just knowing how to pitch and how to get certain guys out. Seeing different swings and takes from guys and being able to pitch off of that.
“I think he just became, you know, a complete pitcher and a really dominant one at that.”
The performance has also fueled belief that Cameron could be a major piece of the Royals’ 2027 starting rotation. For now, though, the month he just put together stands on its own: a breakthrough stretch, an award to match, and a clear sign of what’s building.
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For Witt, the discussion is less about whether he still matters and more about what kind of star hes becoming. His power numbers have trended down, and his recent performance has not lined up with the MVP-level expectations that once followed him around, even if his youth still leaves room for a rebound. For a fan base that had been counting on him to anchor the next great Royals team, the broader question now is whether his ceiling has simply shifted or whether a bigger surge is still coming. [Read more 🡒]