The Royals' offense is silent as they face the Mariners on July 2, 2025. With only 4 runs in 5 games, can rookie Noah Cameron outduel Logan Gilbert?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
As the Royals hit the halfway point of the 2025 season, the story remains stubbornly the same: pitching keeps them in games, but the bats simply can't cash in. After being silenced for most of the recent series against the Rays, the team carries a brutal offensive slump into Seattle, where a tough matchup against the Mariners awaits.
The team has been shut out 10 times this season, accounting for a staggering 23.3% of its losses.
The numbers are grim. The Royals have scored a total of four runs over their last five contests. Ten shutouts on the season tell a story of an offense that disappears for entire games. While Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia have provided flashes of competence, the lineup as a whole has struggled with the timely hitting needed to win ballgames. Team officials preach patience, pointing to underlying metrics that suggest better days are ahead, but for a fanbase watching the team slide to a 39-45 record, patience is wearing thin. Results, not projections, are what matter now.
The challenge doesn't get any easier tonight at T-Mobile Park. The Royals send rookie left-hander Noah Cameron (2-4, 2.79 ERA) to the mound. Cameron has been a revelation, one of the few bright spots, but he'll need to be nearly perfect. He's facing Seattle's Logan Gilbert (2-2, 3.55 ERA), a strikeout machine who boasts an impressive 0.92 WHIP and has racked up 67 Ks in just over 45 innings. For a Royals team that is 3-7 in its last 10 games, scratching out runs against Gilbert will be a monumental task.
While the current big-league club struggles, the future remains a key focus. Tonight's starter, Noah Cameron, is a product of a farm system the organization is banking on. He, along with fellow pitchers Luinder Avila and Eric Cerantola, has already made the jump to the majors this year. Eyes are also on 2024 first-round pick Jac Caglianone, who turned heads in Spring Training. The constant churn of prospects provides hope that the next wave of talent could provide the offensive jolt the team so desperately needs.
Tonight's game in Seattle is a microcosm of the Royals' season: can a promising young arm hold the line long enough for a dormant offense to finally wake up? The answer will not only determine the outcome of this game but could set the tone for the second half. For the Royals to turn this season around, the bats must come alive, and soon.
