Cleveland Guardians Top 30 Prospects: #27 Jhonkensy Noel

Let's talk about power, something the Cleveland Guardians could have used a bit more of in 2022. Cleveland finished the season with a cumulative total of 127 home runs, good for 29th in baseball, and over half of that total was generated by Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and Andres Gimenez. In fact, only two other Guardians — Amed Rosario and Oscar Gonzalez — eclipsed the 10 home run plateau.Now, power isn't everything, and the Guardians found other ways to generate offense. A combination of contact-oriented hitters and aggressive baserunning that tormented opponents was Cleveland's primary means of run production. This identity is an organization-wide shift in philosophy over the better part of the past decade. Similar to how the Guardians prioritize command in pitchers, the scouting and development departments prioritize position players with excellent contact skills believing they can add power or improve other tools in the process.The blueprint is an excellent idea, and it started to pay dividends in 2022 in the likes of Steven Kwan, Tyler Freeman, and Will Brennan, but this brand of baseball isn't without its flaws. Without the ability to sway a game with a single swing of the bat Cleveland's offense appeared impotent at times, floundering collectively as a lineup. Sometimes you just need a player who is a constant threat to clear the fence in any situation. So does Cleveland have any power waiting in the wings?Jhonkensy Noel could potentially be a well of power for the Guardians lineup in the not-so-distant future, and checks in as my 27th-ranked Guardians prospect. Noel, 21, signed with Cleveland as a member of the 2017 international Free Agent class out of the Dominican Republic. To the surprise of some, he was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster after his age-20 season in 2021. The organization clearly sees something in Noel, choosing to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft having never played above than High-A Lake County at the time.Noel is an imposing sight in the right-handed batter's box, checking in at 6 foot 3 inches and 250 pounds, and he hits for 70-grade power to match the frame. The mammoth strength was on full display in 2022 as Noel slashed .229/.310/.489 across three levels with 26 doubles, 32 home runs — tied for 5th across all of Minor League Baseball — and a 114 wRC+ with 49 walks (8.9% BB%) and 150 strikeouts (27.4%). He raised some eyebrows when he was promoted from Lake County to Double-A Akron after slashing just .219/.286/.589 with a 31.7% K% in 62 games, but played his best baseball with the Rubberducks, posting a .242/.338/.488 triple slash, a 123 wRC+, a 10.8% BB% and cutting the K% back to 22.7% over his next 67 games.[embed]https://twitter.com/CespedesBBQ/status/1548423881148403713?s=20&t=21hDgCsRrV0tuhqq5lebSw[/embed]The numbers, while not the most exciting, are still impressive for a 21-year-old, especially one that jumped from High-A to Triple-A in just one season, all while leading the organization with 60 extra-base hits. I do, however, have two causes for concern with Noel, and perhaps they will shed some light on why I'm lower on the slugger than others.The first is the Guardians have been burned by the power-hitter profile in recent seasons. Bobby Bradley and Franmil Reyes touted similar power upside with high strikeout rates and low walk rates, but neither could outweigh the negatives in their respective games and now neither is with the organization. Noel's young, it's far too soon to drop the curtain on his development and I'm not advocating for that. Noel will need to prove he's different as he faces better pitching in the upper minors. Both Bradley and Reyes own career strikeout rates north of 30%. Noel will need to prove he can handle Major League caliber pitching, especially breaking balls and off-speed offerings, while hopefully displaying more of the discipline he showed in Akron last season.[embed]https://twitter.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/1543424959531433987?s=20&t=2VarHpcrMaJafQNMW6CXDA[/embed]The second concern for Noel is he's currently a man without a position. He signed as a third baseman with the Guardians, advertised as having a strong arm, but lacked the twitch and range to man the hot corner in the low minors. As he climbed the farm system in 2022 the club experimented with Noel largely as a corner outfielder — presumably to still make the most of his arm — as well as a first baseman.There's value to a good designated hitter, but in order for Noel to be a true DH, the rest of his offensive production would need to improve significantly to justify him occupying a spot in the Guardians lineup nearly every day. It will be integral to Noel's future with the Guardians, one the team believed as recently as 2021 he was a part of, that he becomes at least a near-league average fielder alongside what he brings at the plate. Personally, I believe Cleveland has an organizational need for first basemen, and Noel's start as a third baseman should translate to first base in theory. Still, it's by no means an easy position to learn.Noel had a four-game cup of coffee with Triple-A Columbus to end 2022, and will likely begin 2023 right back there. He'll join a Clippers outfield of George Valera, Chris Roller, and recent signee Roman Quinn seeking to grab near-everyday reps in a corner outfield spot. We'll be looking for growth as a defender, either at first base or in the outfield, as well as monitoring the strikeouts and walks as Noel acclimates to upper minors pitching. It seems unfair to say, but 2023 feels like a prove-it year for Noel. Despite the fact he'll turn 22 in the upcoming season there's a sense of urgency about Noel since he's already a member of the 40-man roster and he'll be on the younger side of Triple-A, but 2023 will be a strong barometer for how his future will play out.The List so far:28. Jack Leftwich29. Trenton Denholm30. Peyton Battenfield