Kansas City Royals starter Noah Cameron never has to worry when he steps onto a bigleague mound.
The left-handed pitcher who just completed his rookie season in Major League Baseball knows that No. 7 and No. 11 are right behind him.
It’s a matter of convenience for the Royals standout. As many pitchers will agree, a good defense is the ultimate safety blanket. And the Royals have arguably one of the best infield duos in all of baseball.
“I mean, it’s insane,” Cameron said. “I remember in Tampa, I think it was the first inning, (shortstop) Bobby (Witt Jr.) made probably the best play I’ve ever seen.
“It was behind me and I remember just smiling on the mound. I’m just like ‘Holy cow! I don’t have to do anything up here besides let them hit it.’ Hopefully it goes to somebody or it goes in somebody’s general direction. It just changes the game.”
Witt’s reputation precedes him. His No. 7 Royals jersey is among the most popular in the league, which is befitting for a true superstar.
And Witt’s defensive running mate — Maikel Garcia — continues to build his own legacy. Garcia, who sports No. 11 on the field, emerged as a breakout star this year. He set career highs across the board and solidified his place as a focal point in the Royals organization.
Each infielder — Witt and Garcia — has his own lane, things he does especially well. This offseason, the pair’s excellent glove-work was rewarded with a golden, and later platinum, upgrade.
“It’s really cool and just so much easier to pitch,” Cameron said.
A platinum experience
There were growing concerns early in Witt’s career, questions about whether he could handle the defensive rigors of the shortstop position.
In 2022, Witt committed a team-high 19 errors while splitting time at short and third base. At the time, the Royals rookie had a lot to clean up defensively.
Witt took that to heart. “You are working to go out there and be able to help the team make plays,” he said.
Witt spent the following offseason refining his defensive skills. He always had the makeup to be a great defender, but the results hadn’t followed. The Royals assisted him in various ways, including with a coaching change.
The organization hired Matt Quatraro as its major-league manager in 2023. He brought in his own staff that included infield coach Jose Alguacil.
Alguacil worked tirelessly with the entire KC infield. He drilled Witt, Garcia, Michael Massey, Vinnie Pasquantino and others on defensive fundamentals.
There were funneling drills and footwork exercises and the Royals even put in extra time during spring training to better prepare for the rigors of a 162-game season.
In the process, Kansas City’s infielders blossomed defensively. And Witt saw a steady decline in his total errors — he had just 10 this season.
“(It’s just) working on defensive stuff, just from the first step, making plays and making the routine plays routine,” Witt said. “And it’s also just trying to stay locked in. … The biggest change is just being able to stay locked in every pitch. Just pitch by pitch and every game.”
Witt collected his second consecutive Gold Glove at shortstop this fall. He later received a Platinum Glove as the best defensive player in the American League.
Since 2024, Witt has 40 outs above average. Additionally, he is the first Royal to win the Gold Glove twice at shortstop.
“I’m really proud of everything that they’ve done,” Quatraro said, “that Josie (Alguacil) has done and the R&D (research and development) department has done to put them in good positions all the work they have put in.
“It’s just such a big operation and a big project for what everybody sees on the field. I think that validates a lot of the processes we are doing, too.”
Witt has a good chance to win his third Gold Glove next season. But he understands that his ability to defend at a high level wouldn’t be the same without Garcia by his side.
“Maikel kind of motivated me to just try to make that left-side duo the best in the league,” Witt said. “The way he was working also kind of motivated me. Just how well he plays third base and how well he does things. It’s like, all right, I want to try to take some things from him just by watching how he does things.”
A golden rebirth
It doesn’t take long to identify Garcia in a crowd. The Royals third baseman oozes confidence and stands apart in the way he approaches the game.
Garcia is often considered a force multiplier. He can win games with his elite defense or on the basepaths with his legs. His competitive nature can be a net positive or net negative (if things aren’t going well).
In 2024, Garcia often referred to himself as the worst player in baseball. He struggled with .231 batting average in 157 games. His offense was inconsistent and he sometimes wore his emotions on his sleeve.
The Royals stuck with his development. And his competitive fire kept pushing him back to the drawing board. Once there, he added a toe-tap to his batting stance and leveled out his swing.
The changes finally clicking, Garcia pulsated to a memorable season. He made his first All-Star team and won the Gold Glove at third base. He was also a Silver Slugger finalist and received MVP votes down the ballot.
“I saw my name there with nine votes and it was like a dream,” he said.
Witt admired Garcia’s successful campaign. He said Garcia’s confidence not only helped the team but also rubbed off on him defensively.
“It’s almost like, ‘Hit it to me and you are out,’” Witt said of Garcia’s mentality at third base. “And just seeing that from him is great. Just how both of us are out there every single day, just trying to get better at our game. … We want to know what we did wrong to get better and what we need to do to kind of be the best we can be.”
Garcia committed even fewer errors — eight total — than Witt in 2025. He began the season training to play in the outfield and then worked his way across the diamond. His defense was so great at third base that the Royals kept him there as his primary position.
Garcia became the second Royal — since George Brett in 1985 — to win a Gold Glove at third base. He also led all AL third basemen in total chances (346), putouts (105) and fielding percentage (.980).
“They gave me the opportunity to play just third base,” Garcia said. “That was my goal. I played just one position because it’s not easy to play a different position. I never did it before and I did it this year. I was tired in the first couple of games playing the outfield and coming to hit with the pitch clock. That was a challenge for me.”
A royal duo
The Royals have quite the luxury on the leftside of the infield. Witt and Garcia will return for 2026 looking to add to their trophy case.
Witt’s has a shot of winning an MVP and Gold Glove next season. He has nearly achieved that rare feat both of the past two years. When the Royals line up for opening day against the Atlanta Braves, Witt will take his spot in the center of the diamond.
Garcia will be right beside him. He’ll be looking to replicate his All-Star 2025 season and help the club return to the postseason.
The Royals’ young duo arrived together. And now each could reach new heights as they push one another day by day and game by game.
“I think our organization is lucky in that regard because there are 29 other teams that want that,” Quatraro said. “It’s very enviable, not only that they’re Gold Glove players, but that they’re young Gold Glove players.
“They obviously both perform on the offensive side of the ball, too. So we’re not just talking about one dimensional guys. We’re talking about game changers. We’re talking about guys that can influence the clubhouse and do this for a long time.”
