Cleveland Guardians Should Consider Bringing Back This Power Bat

Since Noel was optioned, he’s slashed .265/.335/.502 with an OPS of .837, including 12 home runs and 14 doubles. The strikeout rate is still high, sitting at 27.1 percent, but that’s simply going to be a byproduct of a player of Noel’s skillset.

Noel has been a hot and cold hitter throughout his entire professional career. When he’s swinging a hot bat, he can be one of the biggest threats in a lineup, but he struggles a lot when he’s chasing pitches.

That’s why right now might be the best time to give Noel another MLB opportunity.

Over the last two weeks, Noel has had one of the most productive stretches of the season, posting a .901 OPS and a wRC+ of 133. He’s in the middle of a successful run. It'd be nice to see if Noel can carry some of that success into the big leagues. 

Again, Noel’s first big-league stint didn’t go great this season. That said, neither did Brayan Rocchio's start to the year.

The Guardians optioned the infielder to Triple-A only to “reset” and rediscover his swing. Now, Rocchio has been one of Cleveland’s best bats since his recall over a month ago.

So, it’s more than possible to turn a season around and maybe Noel can follow a similar narrative.

The Guardians still have major question marks in the outfield, and if the offense doesn’t re-ignite soon, Cleveland’s playoff hopes could be over well before September is finished. 

There’s no harm in finding out if Noel can be part of the solution to both of those dilemmas.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage