Jhonkensy Noel's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel went yard during his MLB debut in Wednesday afternoon's loss to the Baltimore Orioles, launching a solo home run in the second inning. After letting go of his bat, Noel then hit a solo homer in his first major-league at-bat to give the Guardians an early 1-0 lead on Wednesday. The 22-year-old slugger is Cleveland's No. 26 prospect for 2024 and is worth a speculative add in deep fantasy leagues for his raw power potential, having slashed .295/.359/.578 with 18 round-trippers, 15 doubles, and 59 RBI over 258 ABs at Triple-A Columbus this season. With plus position eligibility, Noel belongs on all watch lists at the very least.

The Cleveland Guardians called up first base prospect Jhonkensy Noel from Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday and optioned outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez to Columbus in a corresponding move. With first baseman Josh Naylor missing a second straight game, Noel will make his major-league debut on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, starting at first base and batting sixth. The Guardians' No. 26 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, gets his first major-league call-up after hitting .295/.359/.578 with a .937 OPS, 18 home runs and 59 RBI in 65 games with Columbus. The 22-year-old right-handed hitter could get some run at first for the Guardians if Naylor is actually dealing with an injury. In addition to first base, Noel can also fill in at a corner-outfield spot if needed.

Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Jhonkensy Noel blasted three solo home runs for Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday, bringing his season total to 12. The slugger is a career .251 hitter in the minors, but the power is real after he hit 32 long balls between High-A and Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2022 and 27 homers last season at Triple-A as a 21-year-old. It's possible the 22-year-old sees some time in Cleveland this season at some point, and his power should put himself into the season-long conversation once he gets the call. But it could come at the expense of average, as he's currently sporting nearly a 26% strikeout rate in 2024 at Triple-A, and that probably won't get better at the big-league level.