How Royals got future glimpse with Carter Jensen and Noah Cameron on Sunday
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- Royals rookies Carter Jensen and Noah Cameron started together for first time.
- Cameron pitched seven strong innings; Jensen impressed behind the plate.
- Team sees duo as long-term assets as Royals push toward postseason hopes.
It was a special moment for Kansas City Royals rookies Noah Cameron and Carter Jensen on Sunday afternoon.
The KC natives made their first start together in the big leagues. Cameron started the game on the mound and Jensen as catcher.
And it felt like a glimpse into the future.
“It’s awesome,” Cameron said. “You know, we were kind of talking before and we were like, hey, it’s a big day for Kansas City fans. Just two hometown guys. Obviously, I have thrown to him a hundred times. I trust him, and he is obviously amazing back there. Hopefully, there is a lot more to come from me and him.”
Cameron is from St. Joseph, and Jensen went to Park Hill High School.
Cameron shined with Jensen behind the plate. After allowing two solo homers in the first inning, he retired 17 of the next 20 batters he faced. The Royals provided Cameron with adequate run support in a 10-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Cameron picked up his eighth win and posted another quality start. The Royals climbed back to .500 and still have a slim chance of making the postseason.
How the duo worked together caught the attention of their teammates. Royals captain Salvador Perez was excited to see the young guys work. He applauded Jensen’s work behind the plate and even thought to pick up some tricks of the trade.
“Carter was pretty good,” Perez said. “He’s one of the closest guys to the home plate. Maybe I have to copy that from him. His framing was pretty good today. He was doing a pretty good job and had a great plan. And I like him. I gotta be honest, he’s the future of the Kansas City Royals.”
Jensen helped stymie a red-hot Phillies lineup. The Royals limited the Phillies to three runs on five hits.
“I think he did a pretty good job behind home plate, especially with that offense right there,” Perez said. “After what they did the first two games, it was amazing. I think it was pretty good for him, seriously. Blocking the ball and calling the game. You know, I thought it was pretty impressive his first day behind home plate.”
The Royals promoted Jensen as rosters expanded on Sept. 1. The club wanted him to get valuable experience working with the big-league pitching staff.
Jensen was glad to start with Cameron on the mound. Jensen said there was a level of comfort that allowed him to play freely.
“I was going into it super confident and super comfortable because, you know, I had caught Noah since 2022,” he said. “I catch him in the offseason and just super comfortable there.”
Cameron has continued to impress this season. He was called up earlier this year after key injuries in the starting rotation and has remained in the role. His poise continues to impress the coaching staff. He never seems rattled.
On Sunday, Cameron could’ve fallen behind early against the Phillies. However, he remained in control and found a way to pitch seven strong innings en route to victory.
“Noah did a great job,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, we’ve had quite a few games like that where we’ve given up something early and the guys really battled and settle in. Noah going seven strong against that lineup is extremely impressive.”
The Royals could pair the KC-area natives together moving forward. With 12 games remaining, there is opportunity for both to get more in-game experience ahead of the 2026 season.
This story was originally published September 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM with the headline "How Royals got future glimpse with Carter Jensen and Noah Cameron on Sunday."
