Why Royals Pitcher Noah Cameron's Recent Dominance Is More Than a Coincidence

The starting pitcher has been nails lately

Jul 24, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron (65) pitches in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kansas City Royals clinched the series against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory, winning the first two games of the three-game set. Wednesday’s win was anchored by starting pitcher Noah Cameron, who has been very effective on the mound lately.

Against Minnesota, Cameron delivered eight stellar innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and one walk while matching his career high with nine strikeouts. It was a masterful outing for the 27-year-old.

One thing to note is that Cameron recently started calling his own pitches. Since doing so, he has pitched his best baseball of the season and, quite frankly, changed the trajectory of his year.

Noah Cameron has been nothing short of dominant over his past three starts

Jul 11, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron (65) during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jaylon Thompson of The Kansas City Star reported about two weeks ago that Cameron had started calling his own pitches. He has now done so in each of his past three starts, with Wednesday’s outing providing further evidence that he should continue calling his own games.

Over his past three starts, Cameron has tossed 23 combined innings while allowing just one run and recording 24 strikeouts. He has also given up just five hits during that stretch, showing the same effectiveness he displayed during his rookie campaign last season.

Cameron faced the Twins twice over his last three starts, and his pitch selection changed noticeably between the two outings. In his first start against Minnesota on July 30, he relied primarily on his changeup (23 pitches), cutter (22) and curveball (19), according to Statcast.

While Cameron still relied on his changeup (23 pitches) on Wednesday, he shifted away from his cutter and curveball, instead featuring his slider (22) and four-seam fastball (20). The adjustment clearly paid off, as he allowed just one earned run on three hits while striking out 16 over those two starts.

Cameron may be onto something by calling his own games. After a rocky start to the season, calling his own pitches may be the start of a serious turnaround. It could prove to be not only the turning point of his 2026 season but also a change that shapes his future.