Insider Drops Sobering Take on Guardians' Exciting Slugger

An MLB insider has unveiled a rather sobering take on this Cleveland Guardians power hitter.

Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel (43) hits a two-run home run during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians had a magical season in 2024, and one of the main reasons for their success were the unsung heroes up and down their roster.

Take outfielder Jhonkensy Noel, for example.

Noel made his big-league debut in June and ultimately played a significant role in the Guardians' journey to an AL Central division title, smashing 13 home runs to go along with a solid .774 OPS over 198 plate appearances.

As a result of Noel's power display, many Cleveland fans feel he should be handed the starting right field job in 2025, but Guardians insider Mandy Bell does not think it will be such a simple decision.

During an appearance on 92.3 The Fan, Bell revealed that Cleveland is most likely to roll with a rotation in right field and that it doesn't fully trust Noel in an everyday role just yet.

"I know that there's a lot of eyes on Jhonkensy Noel just because of the threat that's there with the fact that he can probably hit the ball 750 feet at any moment, but I think that they're going to need to see a lot from him growth-wise and just being able to lay off the bad pitches and prove that he can be a little more selective," Bell said.

While Noel did flash prodigious power in 2024, he clearly was not polished as a hitter, as he slashed .218/.288/.486 with 63 strikeouts and just 13 walks.

The 23-year-old will probably always be a high strikeout guy, but it would definitely be nice to see him develop some more patience at the dish. If he does that, maybe he can carve out a daily role with the Guardians. But until then, Noel still has quite a road ahead of him.