Guardians Prospect Showing Off Power In Winter League

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild | Last updated 11/28/23

Winter is a time for front offices to evaluate what their organization looks like. It's a time for fans to predict and project their favorite team's roster at the start of the next season.

For Jhonkensy Noel, it's time to mash home runs in the Dominican Winter League.

Noel is the Cleveland Guardians' 28th-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline), and is participating in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) during the MLB offseason. He's gotten off to a hot start, already hitting three home runs in less than a week.

The first home run Noel hit came during his first at-bat in the Winter League. It was a 403-foot solo shot that sailed over the left field wall. He followed this up with a two-home run game on Monday night.

Noel has played in six total games for the Estrellas Orientales. He has a slash line of .211/.348/.684 and a 1.032 OPS in this span. Sure, the batting average is a little low, but there's a ton of promise in the power numbers, which is exactly what the Guardians are looking for at the Big League level.

This is a similar trend to what Noel has produced at the Minor League level. After ending the 2022 season with Triple-A Columbus, he slugged .420 with a .723 OPS during the 2023 season, all of which he spent in Triple-A.

Noel is a name to keep an eye on through spring training and into the start of the season, as his estimated time of arrival to the Big Leagues was 2023. The Guardians need an outfielder with some pop, and Noel brings this to the table.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: