Jhonkensy Noel had an exciting first at-bat in his Major League Baseball debut. Many rookies have made their debuts this season, but none were as eventful as Noel’s at-bat. Facing Baltimore Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez in the second inning on Wednesday, Noel held off from the first pitch for ball 1. Then he fouled-tipped a 97 mph fastball and lost his bat in the process. On the next pitch, Noel hit a home run into the home bullpen at Camden Yards.
The Columbus Guardian’s Triple-A team watched their recent teammate open his MLB career with a homer during a rain delay. Noel finished the game 1-for-4 with the home run and two strikeouts. Despite his efforts, the Orioles won 4-2 as Rodriguez threw seven innings with two earned runs allowed. Noel is ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the Cleveland system by MLB Pipeline, with his power being his best tool. Before his call-up, he was hitting .295/.359/.578 with 18 homers in 65 games for Columbus.