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Jhonkensy Noel Reunites With Former Guardians Coach
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- Jhonkensy Noel Reunites With Former Guardians Coach
The Cleveland Guardians announced on December 17 that the organization had designated Jhonkensy Noel for assignment, creating a new spot on the 40-man roster. Quite a "grinchy" one week before the Holidays for a player with the nickname "Big Christmas."
Noel does have a new home in the big leagues, though. On Monday, the Baltimore Orioles announced that they had claimed Noel off waivers from the Guardians, meaning the slugger is joining the American League East.
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Even though entering a new organization is hard, Noel will have one familiar face he can turn to, and that person just so happens to be the skipper. Earlier this offseason, the Orioles hired former bench and associate manager Craig Albernaz to be the new skipper in Baltimore . Noel obviously spent time with him in the dugout the last two seasons.
The other fun tie-in with this news is that Noel actually made his MLB debut at Camden Yards on July 26, 2024. The right-handed hitter swung at the first pitch he saw and ended up hitting a home run in his first big-league at-bat.
Now, Noel will get to call that ballpark home in Baltimore.
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The Orioles must clearly think that they see something in Noel's swing to make him more of a productive hitter at the big-league level. The 24-year-old has always had natural power and bat speed, so when he gets hold of the ball, it tends to travel far and fast.
However, Noel has consistently struggled with swing-and-miss and chase tendencies in the minors, which have carried over to his MLB plate appearances. In 148 at-bats with the Guardians in 2025, Noel logged a chase rate of 49 percent and a strikeout rate of 34 percent.
Jun 26, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfield Jhonkensy Noel (78) reacts after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Even though Noel is no longer playing in Cleveland, he's still responsible for one of the most memorable postseason moments in playoff history, hitting a game-tying home run off New York Yankees ' closer Luke Weaver in the 2024 ALCS.
The Orioles are set to visit Cleveland on April 16-18 in 2026. If Noel is in the lineup in any of those games, he'll likely get a nice ovation from the crowd because of this legendary play alone.
