Jhonkensy Noel deserves a September call-up from the Guardians

With the September call-ups just around the bend, power-hitting prospect Jhonkensy Noel has an obvious case to be one of the players called up to the Guardians' major league roster.

While the 24-year-old belted bombs for the team in the back half of the 2024 campaign, he's been flat for most of 2025, which has led to him spending most of the season at Triple-A Columbus.

Fortunately for his development, that time in the minors has helped him continue to grow as a hitter and keep his confidence high.

In 51 games at Triple-A this year, Noel has slashed .256/.318/.492 with 50 hits, 11 home runs, 31 RBI and 13 doubles.

Although his strikeout-to-walk ratio has remained high (60 strikeouts to just 16 walks), his trademark power is still there.

Noel's major league numbers were rough this year, but his play in Triple-A has certainly made up for those hiccups. The Guardians also don't have many right-handed batters with raw power on the roster, which is one of Noel's strengths.

Noel has the power to record homers in bunches, but there was too much swing and miss in his game and his overall consistency was lackluster.

But it seems like he's turned things around lately and is presenting a strong case for why he should be back sending balls deep into the right field bleachers at Progressive Field.

September call-ups expand each team's MLB roster from 26 to 28 players. Those call-ups are important for the Guardians, as it'll allow them to call up some additional reinforcements for their postseason stretch run or provide the team's decision makers with a chance to see who should be on the roster next year.

Noel can play in right field along with playing at designated hitter and first base. He could also be a dangerous right-handed bat off the bench.

The Guardians don't need him to be perfect, they just need him to provide a few punches here and there. He just showed he can do that in Triple-A, and all know what happened last postseason.

This year is Noel's last year with minor league option, which means that, starting next season, the Guardians wouldn't be able to send him to the minors without exposing him to waivers.

At this point, the Guardians need to figure out if Noel is a piece of the team's long-term puzzle, and the best way to do that is by giving him another shot on the major league roster.

A September call-up would give him a chance to see if he can find some of the magic that he had at the end of last season. If he struggles, it could give the front office the conformation they need to deal him elsewhere. But if he shines, then they could finally start thinking about him as a piece of the long-term core.

This September is the perfect time to see if Big Christmas still has any presents left in his bag.