KANSAS CITY — When Noah Cameron made his big league debut on April 30, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and foreshadowed the excellent season he was about to put together for the Royals in his rookie year. But he would not have gotten there without his defense, especially the two infielders stationed over his right shoulder.
Third baseman Maikel Garcia made a couple of great plays that day, including starting a double play in the second inning that erased back-to-back walks and got Cameron out of the inning. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. made a highlight-reel diving stop to take away a hit from the Rays’ José Caballero in the third inning.
“Bobby made probably the best play I’d ever seen — like ever seen,” Cameron said Monday afternoon. “And it was behind me. I remember just smiling on the mound. I’m like, ‘Holy cow, I don’t have to do anything up there besides let them hit it. And hopefully it goes to somebody or in somebody’s general direction.’ But it just changes the game.”
Now, Witt and Garcia make up one of the best left sides of the infield in the Major Leagues, having both won American League Gold Gloves. Cameron put together an unforgettable rookie season, establishing himself as a key piece of the Royals’ rotation.
And all three won Royals team awards Monday, as voted on by the Kansas City chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Witt was named the Les Milgram Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive season — all four seasons of his Major League career. Cameron was named the Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year. Garcia earned the Joe Burke Special Achievement Award, given to an unsung player who contributed beyond what was expected or someone voters felt deserved recognition for an outstanding season.
“It’s an honor being able to represent Kansas City with those awards,” Witt said. “… I’m always [champing] at the bit now, because the awards give you motivation for next year. All that stuff has 2025 on it. I’m kind of over that. Now I’m ready for 2026.”
At the beginning of ‘25, Garcia remembers watching Witt be recognized for all his ‘24 awards. The Gold Glove, in particular, was a motivator for Garcia: He wanted one, too. A breakout ‘25 earned him one at third base. On top of being an elite defender, Garcia slashed .286/.351/.449, setting career highs in games (160), hits (170), doubles (39), home runs (16) and RBIs (74). He was an All-Star for the first time and was a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award at the utility position.
“I can’t wait for opening night in Kansas City [to] receive my Gold Glove,” said Garcia, who was sporting bright pink hair when he hopped on a Zoom call with local media. “It’s a dream come true. And I think Bobby inspired me to fight for a Gold Glove. … So many guys play this game and they never win a Gold Glove, so to be able to win one, it’s amazing.”
Witt and Garcia are part of the foundation the Royals are building on for 2026 and beyond.
“Our organization is very lucky in that regard, because there’s 29 other teams that want that,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Not [just] Gold Glove players, but that they’re young Gold Glove players. They obviously both perform on the offensive side of the ball, too. We’re not just talking about one-dimensional guys. We’re talking about game changers. We’re talking about guys who can influence the clubhouse and do this for a long time, hopefully, for all of us.”
Cameron, it could be argued, was the Royals’ MVP, given what he meant to a rotation ravaged by injuries throughout the season. The 26-year-old debuted at the end of April and was permanently in the rotation by mid-May. Cameron posted a 2.99 ERA across 24 starts with Kansas City, the third-lowest mark by a Royals rookie behind Royals Hall of Famers Paul Splittorff (2.68 in 1971) and Kevin Appier (2.76 in ‘90).
“A lot of the awards that have come have been rookie stuff, which is awesome,” Cameron said. “This award, it’s really cool because it’s not just for rookies. It’s something they’ve given me [over] 14-year guys and 10-year guys. It’s really special. It’s really cool to have that recognition by the organization.”
