Video Shows Guardians Rookie’s Former Teammates Celebrating His First MLB Homer

The Cleveland Guardians were very competitive on Wednesday night, against the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale.

They were going for the sweep, having won on Monday and Tuesday, but even though the game was competitive up until the late innings, the O’s hit two solo homers against reliever Xzavion Curry that decided things.

The final score was 4-2 in favor of Baltimore, and that snapped the Guards’ seven-game winning streak.

One of the two Cleveland runs came courtesy of a home run by rookie slugger Jhonkensy Noel, who was making his big league debut on Wednesday.

Talk about a positive first impression!

It wasn’t only in his first MLB game: he did it in his first at-bat.

Between 2022 and 2024, Noel played 207 games in Triple-A for the Columbus Clippers.

He made some friends along the way, and these friends were there for him in probably the best day of his life.

The Clippers gathered in the clubhouse to watch the Guardians game, and went crazy when their former teammate went yard.

Here is the wholesome video, posted on Twitter by FOX Sports MLB:

“The Columbus Clippers went CRAZY watching their former teammate Jhonkensy Noel homer in his first big league at-bat,” they tweeted.

The Columbus Clippers went CRAZY watching their former teammate Jhonkensy Noel homer in his first big league at-bat 🥹

(via @CleGuardPro)pic.twitter.com/EqCkCZGHWJ

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 26, 2024

You can see Noel is a very popular guy in that clubhouse: these guys celebrated that home run as if they hit it themselves.

That’s a close group right there: they were all genuinely happy.

Noel made huge strides this year in Triple-A and earned his chance.

He posted a below-average 77 wRC+ last season at the level, and this year, he was at an elite 136 wRC+ thanks to a robust .295/.359/.578 line and 18 home runs in 65 games.

The Guards are hoping he carries that form with him at the MLB level.

It will be tough, but Noel has advanced enough as a hitter to give himself a true chance to stick.