Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

Cameron grew up in St. Joseph, Mo., about an hour north of Kauffman Stadium, and the Royals kept a close eye on him when he went to Central Arkansas. Despite having Tommy John surgery in ‘21, the Royals drafted him in the seventh round that year and signed him for below-slot value. After dealing with an innings limit and another injury in ‘22, Cameron looked incredibly strong in the first part of ‘23, tearing up High-A Quad Cities. He struggled with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he dealt with fatigue and a velocity drop. He ended the year with a 5.28 ERA between the two levels across 107 1/3 innings.

Cameron is a strike-thrower; he had a 28.3 percent strikeout rate last year with just a 7.5 percent walk rate. His command is impressive, which helps his tick-above-average fastball that has deception. The Royals believe Cameron’s velocity drop to the upper-80s and low-90s last year was because of strength and conditioning deficiencies, which he addressed this past offseason, and he has seen better velo since. Cameron’s calling card is his plus low-80s tumbling changeup that gets a ton of swing-and-miss. He mixes in an upper-70s curveball that tunnels well with his fastball. Cameron also came to spring with a new 82-85 mph cutter to keep hitters off outside fastballs, and it's been a solid pitch.

With better endurance through the season, Cameron will have a better chance to show what he can do at the upper levels of the Minors. His delivery is clean, and he has a starter’s mix with good command but needs something closer to average velo to stand out all the more.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

Cameron grew up an hour north of Kauffman Stadium in St. Joseph, Mo., and the Royals kept a close eye on him when he went to Central Arkansas. He only made 18 collegiate starts because of the pandemic and Tommy John surgery in 2021. Kansas City drafted him in the seventh round that year and signed him to a below-slot $197,500 bonus. Cameron missed some time in 2022 because of injury but made his debut and posted a 3.56 ERA across 19 starts and three levels, making it up to High-A.

Cameron had eye-popping strikeout numbers, punching out 99 batters in 65 2/3 innings last year. He pounds the zone and has command of all three of his pitches. His fastball is below average because of velocity -- it sits 89-90 mph but can flash mid-90s in short bursts -- but it has good life and sometimes cuts. Cameron sells his plus low-80s changeup well out of his hand, only for hitters to watch it tumble below their swinging bats expecting something harder; right-handers are particularly baffled by this pitch. Cameron mixes in a curveball that has a tight break and has developed some consistency over the past year, making it another potential above-average offering.

Some turbulence is to be expected coming off elbow surgery, but Cameron was in attack mode during his first professional season. He will need to face more patient hitters at the upper levels to see how his stuff truly plays, and he has hit a rough patch during his initial looks at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. That could be as a reliever with his changeup as his best pitch, but the Royals will see what they have first as a starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

Cameron was an immediate starter at Central Arkansas and was named to the 2019 All-Southland Conference second team after posting a 2.95 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings as a freshman. His sophomore campaign was limited to four starts due to the pandemic, and he didn’t pitch at all in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Despite the limited looks, the Royals still selected the southpaw in the seventh round that July and signed him for below slot at $197,500. Though he missed some time with a shoulder issue this summer, Cameron has been dominant in his return to the mound at Single-A and High-A, where he’s struck out more than 35 percent of his batters faced.

Cameron sells his plus, low-80s changeup well out of his hand, just before it tumbles below the bats of hitters expecting more heat. The deception and separation of the change have made him an extreme-reverse splits pitcher; righties were hitting just .217 with a .591 OPS off him as of early September while lefties had a .286 average and .814 OPS. Cameron sits just 91-93 mph on his fastball, but his command and combination off the cambio makes it play up at times. A low-80s curveball gives another breaking look but lacks consistency.

Limiting walks hasn’t been an issue for the 23-year-old, though he hasn’t been challenged by more patient upper-level hitters yet either. Injuries to the elbow and shoulder will also keep his health a question mark until he proves he can complete a season with 120-plus innings. But the stuff and early results make Cameron an interesting back-end starter prospect.

Awards

Baseball America Triple-A All-Star

Year	Team
2024

INT Pitcher of the Month

Month	Team
08/2024

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2022

CAR Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
05/08/2022

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/19/2024	Kansas City Royals selected the contract of LHP Noah Cameron from Omaha Storm Chasers.
	07/28/2024	LHP Noah Cameron assigned to Omaha Storm Chasers from Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
	05/31/2024	Northwest Arkansas Naturals activated LHP Noah Cameron from the 7-day injured list.
	05/12/2024	Northwest Arkansas Naturals placed LHP Noah Cameron on the 7-day injured list retroactive to May 10, 2024.
	03/07/2024	Kansas City Royals Prospects activated LHP Noah Cameron.
	05/19/2023	LHP Noah Cameron assigned to Northwest Arkansas Naturals from Quad Cities River Bandits.
	05/19/2023	Northwest Arkansas Naturals activated LHP Noah Cameron.
	08/14/2022	Quad Cities River Bandits activated LHP Noah Cameron from the 7-day injured list.
	08/02/2022	Quad Cities River Bandits sent LHP Noah Cameron on a rehab assignment to ACL Royals.
	08/02/2022	Quad Cities River Bandits sent LHP Noah Cameron on a rehab assignment to ACL Royals.
	07/04/2022	Quad Cities River Bandits placed LHP Noah Cameron on the 7-day injured list.
	05/20/2022	LHP Noah Cameron assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Columbia Fireflies.
	04/04/2022	LHP Noah Cameron assigned to Columbia Fireflies.
	07/18/2021	Kansas City Royals signed LHP Noah Cameron.