The Cleveland Guardians entered this season with a big need for help on offense.
So far, they haven’t gotten many – if any – help from their outfield, except, of course, Steven Kwan.
Notably, Jhonkensy Noel’s struggles have been particularly frustrating and disappointing, as he was projected to be a potential breakout candidate this season.
The 23-year-old right fielder may have bottomed out in May, as he took a huge step back to Nolan Jones, who finally showed some signs of progress.
All in all, Noel made just 39 plate appearances and started six games in May.
When asked about his struggles, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti claimed that it wasn’t rare to see players in Noel’s situation struggle to be at their best:
“There are things with Jhonkensy [Noel] in particular with his swing that he could benefit from just more regular playing time,” Antonetti said. “But that’s really hard to do at the major league level because we’re trying to win each night and figure out what the best matchups are for us to win on any given day.”
Noel recorded a .105 batting average with one home run, two RBI, and an OPS of .339 in May.
He struck out 14 times as well.
Granted, perhaps not having enough at-bats hasn’t done much to help his case, and maybe that’s only making it all worse and harder than it needs to be.
Then again, as much as Antonetti thinks he could get back on track with extended opportunities, it’s not going to be easy to find additional at-bats for a struggling player.
Noel has the physical tools to be a solid slugger in the pros, and he gave us a glimpse of what he was capable of when he was on a roll last season.
Still, this team might not be able to afford waiting for him right now, and he may benefit from a trip down to the minors to get his confidence back.
NEXT: Guardians Announce Change Of Plans Regarding Shane Bieber
