Why Royals Should Build Rotation Around Noah Cameron

The Kansas City Royals didn't have the year they hoped for in spite of young players like Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone stepping up, concluding the season 69-93 overall and fifth in the AL Central.

However, the Royals still have a core worth building around besides Jensen and Caglianone and starting pitcher Noah Cameron was among the Royals' other promising pieces this year.

The Saint Joseph, Missouri native posted a 4.11 ERA with 158 strikeouts through 30 starts and 177.1 innings pitched, having a dominant second half of the year until he ran out of gas during his final two starts of the season in which he allowed a combined 14 hits and 10 earned runs.

Still, those results don't erase Cameron's hard work to keep Kansas City in games whenever Caglianone and the rest of the offense couldn't string any hits together.

Cameron had one of his strongest outings yet on Aug. 16 against the Los Angeles Angels, fanning eight batters while only giving up one walk and a single hit in his first career complete game.

Moreover, he showed resilience in the Royals' 15-1 blowout win over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 6, striking out seven hitters and yielding just one run despite allowing six hits and five walks in five innings.

At just 27 years old, Cameron could take a step forward next year with fellow starters Luinder Avila, Cole Ragans and Stephen Kolek continuing to recover from season-ending UCL surgeries.

Cameron's arm will also come in handy given Seth Lugo's regression to a 5.17 ERA and Daniel Lynch IV's inconsistency that came as a result of him getting his feet wet as a starter after he previously served in a relief role.

While veteran Michael Wacha had another dominant year, whether he can sustain his current level of pitching is questionable given that he turned 35 in July. If his body can hold up though, he and Cameron should be an excellent 1-2 punch.

Furthermore, Cameron was one of the Royals' most reliable arms this year, with lower back tightness being the only notable injury he suffered this season. He would miss just a single scheduled start this year, cementing him as an arm that Kansas City can count on going forward.

As Cameron keeps working on his arsenal in the offseason, general manager J.J. Picollo will work to find other frontline starters to back him up in the rotation.