By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph's Noah Cameron has had quite the journey since being drafted by the Royals in 2021.
An alum of Central High School, Cameron jumped from High A Quad Cities to Double A Northwest Arkansas last year.
Cameron finished last year 3-10 with a 6.10 ERA, striking out 74 batters in 17 starts. After the season, Cameron made some adjustments, including adding a new pitch, the cutter.
A new pitch and a better feel for better talent led to better results for Cameron who went 4- 4 for Northwest Arkansas in 16 starts. Then, came the call from Triple A Omaha
Cameron had a no decision in his first game with Omaha throwing 6.2 innings, striking out 10, giving up one run.
The first win for Cameron, a left-handed pitcher, evaded him through his first three starts, before finally earning it this past Sunday.
Cameron says it felt good to get that first win.
"You know to have that record, just on record and you get six wins in a row and you're like wow that's awesome and you're 6-0 and it looks good and all that stuff for sure," Cameron tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during a phone interview while the Stormchasers are in a series in Buffalo,. "So, it's definitely nice."
In the win, Cameron pitched six innings and gave up just one hit while striking out seven and walking three. Before giving up a triple to the second batter he faced in the sixth inning, Cameron pitched 5.1 hitless innings.
Cameron says since arriving in Omaha, he's leaned on a number of veterans, who have various years of major league experience such as Alec Marsh, Daniel Lynch, and Dinelson Lamet.
"They're at the same level as I am right now, so it's interesting to just see how it's like they were in the big leagues for years and years and their experience up there, and then it's like ok now they're kind of on the grind of they're not happy to be here cause they want to be up in the big leagues cause that's where they were," Cameron explains. "So, it's definitely really cool to just talk to them and see how everything works."
Along with working alongside many veterans in Omaha, he also gets to work with legendary manager Mike Jirschele, who has won over 1,000 games in Omaha, and also has a World Series ring.
Cameron says working with 'Jirsch', as he's more commonly known, has been amazing
"You know the first thing he told me when I came in, he was like "Noah, we win here, you ready to do that?" and I was like absolutely let's do it," Cameron says. "So, it was cool to just see that's just the culture he wants to just have in the clubhouse, and obviously that's what we're doing this year, which is awesome, so yeah he's a good dude."
The Stormchasers clinched a playoff spot after a 9-4 win over the Louisville Bats on June 18th, also securing home field advantage in the International League Championship series, it's the teams first playoff trip in 10 years.
In four starts with Omaha, Cameron is 1-0 with a 1.07 ERA and 30 strikeouts. He currently ranks as the Royals #12 prospect
Journal
Full Interview with Noah Cameron
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