Orioles insider believe recent waiver claim could be massive success story

When the Baltimore Orioles claimed Jhonkensy Noel off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians, it was unclear what the plan was. The massive first baseman/outfielder is still just 24 years old, but already out of options, and it was hard to see where he fit.

The Orioles already have a glut at both positions, with Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, Tyler O'Neill, and Leody Taveras all vying for time in the outfield, and Pete Alonso, Ryan Mountcastle, and Coby Mayo comprising significant depth at first. There just didn't seem to be a need.

Noel, affectionately known as Big Christmas, also doesn't bring much production to the table. Playing in spurts over the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, he compiled 351 big league plate appearances, hitting 19 home runs, but striking out 32.8% of the time against a paltry 4.8% walk rate and slashing .193/.242/.401 in the process.

The mountainous youngster had even regressed from 2024, going from a .774 OPS to a putrid .486 mark. With eyes on contending, this was a reclamation project that just didn't make much sense.

The Orioles believe that they can successfully rebuild Jhonkensy Noel in the minors

Baltimore was fortunate to be able to outright Noel to the minors, and there they believe they can fix the powerful youngster and turn him into the slugging force that Cleveland always envisioned he would become.

Baltimore believes in the hitting philosophies employed by coaches Dustin Lind and Brady North, and has faith that the instruction they can provide can unlock the 6-foot-3, 250-pound slugger's potential. It also doesn't hurt that manager Craig Albernaz knows Noel well from his two-year stint as the Guardians' bench coach.

The biggest issue Noel faces is the swing and miss. Strikeouts have been a major issue for the youngster in the bigs, and it has impacted his ability to make contact at the rate required to consistently tap into his immense power.

That hasn't always been the case in the minors, however. Noel first reached Triple-A in 2022 and struck out 38.9% of the time. That was just a four-game sample, and he improved somewhat in 2023, reducing the K-rate to a high-but-acceptable 24.8% while crushing 27 dingers in 138 games as a 21-year-old. The issue, however, was his .220 batting average as the hit tool too often failed him.

Noel began 2024 back in Columbus for yet another run at Triple-A competition, and this time, things clicked. He slashed .295/.359/.578 with 18 dingers over 284 plate appearances, striking out just 21.1% of the time. That's what earned him the promotion to the bigs in the first place.

Noel showed off exactly what he can look like if he puts the pieces all together with some heroics in the 2024 ALCS matchup against the New York Yankees. His minor league track record has shown that he is capable of growth, and could eventually grow into the sort of disciplined masher who can make pitchers pay.

By successfully removing him from the 40-man roster, Baltimore has a chance to bring him along slowly and accentuate the power potential while working on his weaknesses. If they're right, they'll have a massive win on their hands. If not, they've literally lost nothing. What seemed nonsensical at the time is proving to be a low-risk, high-reward dice roll, and those are the kinds of moves on the margins that you love to see.