This local KC Royals prospect made his MLB debut — and flirted with a no-hitter
In the biggest game of his life, Kansas City Royals prospect Noah Cameron flirted with MLB history.
On Wednesday, Cameron took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. He looked comfortable navigating the Rays lineup before Curtis Mead broke the no-hit bid with a single down the third-base line.
“I thought he was going to do it,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
The single was the lone blemish on Cameron’s scorecard. The Royals (16-15) defeated the Rays 3-0 to clinch a series victory and pull above .500.
Cameron tossed 6 ⅓ scoreless innings. He allowed five walks and struck out three batters before departing at 79 pitches.
“Just really impressive,” Quatraro said. “The poise and the pitch count was really low. Thankfully, we got the lead for him so he had a little chance to breathe.”
And Cameron had a bit of defensive help.
Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe robbed a potential home run in the first inning. Later, KC superstar Bobby Witt Jr. took away a base hit from Rays outfielder Jose Caballero to begin the third frame.
Cameron overcame some nerves early on. He walked two batters in the second before getting an inning-ending double play to extinguish the threat.
“I think after the fourth or fifth inning, you know it as a pitcher,” Cameron said of the no-hit bid. “Obviously, I had a few walks, so I knew that was kind of happening. It was more of attack the (strike) zone and just continue to let the defense work.”
The Rays (14-16) were baffled all night. Cameron relied on his slider to attack hitters and it led to some favorable counts. He registered his first career strikeout after retiring Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson on an 84.4 mph slider.
Cameron added the pitch this spring and it was sharp on Wednesday. He generated 20 swings and seven whiffs with the slider and his cutter as well.
Cameron also mixed in his fastball, changeup and curveball. The pitches paired well with the sinker as he retired Rays duo Christopher Morel and Junior Caminero on strikes to end the sixth inning.
“He was relaxed all day and he prepared himself pretty good,” catcher Salvador Perez said. “He ran the meeting today before the game. Yeah, that was good. I remember catching him in spring training. He showed me how he liked to pitch and we tried to be on the same page with him. He was pretty good tonight.”
It was a masterful performance for Cameron. The St. Joseph native grew up a Royals fan and still remembers watching Zack Greinke’s Royals debut in 2004 against the Oakland Athletics.
Cameron became the 14th MLB pitcher (since 1901) to throw 6 1/3 scoreless innings or more while allowing one hit or fewer in his debut. He now owns the longest no-hit bid by a Royal in an MLB debut.
“It’s everything and more,” Cameron said. “You know, it’s expected to be amazing and it always just outshines everything you can think of. It’s good to get it out of the way and kind of move forward from here. I’m never going to forget it.”
Now, Cameron has added his own Royals memory — one he can share with his family and friends in attendance.
“They were obviously super emotional,” Cameron said. “Mom was a hard one because she was super emotional. And I saw my dad get emotional, which doesn’t happen too often. So it was a lot of fun. Obviously, just my son running up to me, it just completely changes your life. It’s a lot of fun having them here.”
Missed previous Royals coverage?
Game 1: Michael Lorenzen records 50th career win in Royals 3-1 victory
Milestone: Bobby Witt Jr. plays in 500th career game with Royals
Here are more notable aspects of Wednesday’s game:
Vinnie Pasquantino powers Royals offense
The Royals gave Cameron an early 2-0 lead on Wednesday. In the first inning, Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-run homer off Rays starter Drew Rasmussen.
It was Pasquantino’s fourth home run and team-leading 18th RBI of the season. Pasquantino turned on a 96.1 mph fastball and sent it over the right-field wall.
“There were definitely some things tonight that I was encouraged with that I hadn’t been encouraged with myself this year,” Pasquantino said. “Tonight felt like a really nice step in the right direction for me.”
The Royals added another run in the fifth inning. Witt hit an RBI single as he extended his hitting streak to 21 games. It was also his 500th career game with the Royals.
“I think any time you are pitching with the lead, I think anyone on our whole staff is comfortable with it,” Witt said.
What’s next: The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon. Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (2-3, 3.08 ERA) will draw the start against Rays righty Shane Baz (3-0, 2.45 ERA).
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 8:33 PM with the headline "This local KC Royals prospect made his MLB debut — and flirted with a no-hitter."
