BALTIMORE – First, Jhonkensy Noel couldn’t keep the bat in his hands. Then, he wasn’t able to keep the ball in the stadium.
In his first major league at-bat Wednesday night at Camden Yards during the Orioles victory 4-2Noel, the Guardians’ No. 26 prospect, made sure to show off his swinging power in spectacular fashion, sending his first hit 413 feet over the center field wall, a drive that had an exit velocity of 106.5 mph. .
After taking a first pitch from Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez, Noel was ready to hit. He then saw Rodriguez’s second fast pitch as a good opportunity to make contact. And he did it, sending the ball into foul territory – along with his bat – down the third base line, where the Guardians’ third base coach, Venezuelan Rouglas Odor, was standing.
Noel grabbed a new bat, took a few practice swings to get used to it, took a deep breath and swung at another pitch from Rodriguez. The ball traveled far toward center field before landing in the middle of the Orioles bullpen.
Noel became the fourth Cleveland batter to homer in his first major league at-bat and the first since Kevin Kouzmanoff, who hit a grand slam in his first at-bat against Texas on September 2, 2006.
