The Cleveland Guardians entered this season with high hopes and expectations.
After watching his postseason heroics and his potential, they thought that Jhonkensy Noel would be one of their offensive leaders.
That wasn’t the case, and it wasn’t pretty at all.
Stephen Vogt gave the young outfielder as many opportunities to get his act together, but the team ultimately had no choice but to demote him to Triple-A Columbus.
The Guardians gave him another chance down the stretch after he finally got his legs back under him in the minors, and he showcased some potential again.
That’s why it’s so disappointing to hear that he’s struggling mightily at the plate again:
“Jhonkensy Noel is hitting .111 (1 for 9) with Toros del Este in the Dominican Republic,” Hoynes wrote.
Players like Noel should be crushing it at Winter Ball, and this is clearly not an encouraging sign for him.
He has the potential to be a dominant slugger, but he clearly has to change his approach at the plate.
He has a worrisome tendency to get behind in the count, and he’s often caught chasing, especially with fastballs.
The Guardians desperately need a helping hand at the plate.
Noel is young enough to be worth the risk, but given how much he’s struggled, it’s hard to believe the team will give him a long leash.
So, he will have to get his act together soon and make the most of the playing time he’s getting in the Caribbean right now.
Otherwise, it will be very hard to make a case for him to make the roster for Opening Day.
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