CLEVELAND, Ohio — Jhonkensy Noel is in the midst of a monster week for the Guardians. Despite going hitless in four at-bats in Wednesday’s 6-1 win against the Cubs, Noel emerged from the series with four hits, including three home runs in his last 11 at-bats and is slugging .625 in 25 plate appearances in August.
Noel, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound outfielder and corner infielder who joined Cleveland on June 26, has added punch to manager Stephen Vogt’s lineup since his arrival with nine home runs and 17 RBI while striking out 29 times in 94 trips to the plate. Known for his cheery disposition in the cluhbouse and his beaming smile, Noel is quickly becoming a fan favorite at Progressive Field. Nicknamed “Big Christmas,” the rookie is starting to earn more playing time as Vogt continues to praise his preparation, athleticism and ability to hit tape-measure home runs when the Guardians need them the most.
Cleveland.com caught up with Noel prior to Wednesday’s game. He answered a few questions about himself via Guardians interpreter Agustin Rivero.
Check out the full interview below. More Guardians coverage Another old-school arm shines as Guardians beat Cubs, 6-1, for 3-game sweep Stephen Vogt remembers lessons learned from Craig Counsell: Guardians takeaways Cleveland Guardians, Chicago Cubs starting lineups for Aug. 14, 2024: Game 121 Q : I hear you like to spend a lot of time at the beach with your family in the offseason.
Why is that something important to you? JN : Yeah, I always try to make time to be there with my family. Especially in December. Last year, I couldn’t do it because I was really focusing on getting in good shape for this year.
But normally I try to be there every Christmas with my family around the beach. Q : What do you find special about the beach? Do you paddleboard, or parasail or just like digging your toes in the sand? JN : Just being there is what’s most important. Not any activity in particular.
Just to be able to unplug with my family, disconnect from everything a little bit and just be there and spend that quality time with my family. Q : David Ortiz and Adrián Beltré were some of the players you idolized growing up in the Dominican Republic. What did you like about watching them play? JN : The main thing you take away from them is just how they played the game hard.
They played the game the right way. That continues when I see José Ramírez and how he plays the game. I got to see (Ortiz and Beltré) a lot during the playoffs, and seeing how focused they were in playing the game and how much they got results out of that.
That’s something that I like and take for part of my game. Just being focused and trying to do my best. Q : When those guys would play for the Dominican in the World Baseball Classic against teams like the United States, was that exciting for you to see them compete for your country? JN : Yeah.
That’s really exciting because, at the end of the day, that’s the ultimate goal for every player. Represent their country the best way they can, and they did it. That’s something that I look forward to doing at some point in my career in the future, being able to represent the Dominican Republic.
Everybody knows Guardians slugger Jhonkensy Noel as 'Big Christmas,' but that is not the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Dominican native's only nickname. Getty Images Q : You’re a big fan of rappers like Future, 50 Cent and Lil Baby. If you had control of the music in the clubhouse, who are you jamming out to before or after a game? JN : I’d choose a little Rochy RD because he’s a Dominican artist, but also because I know José likes him a lot.
We like a lot of the same entertainers. For me, it’s not only for myself when I get the chance to pick the music, it’s also for my teammates. I like to combine it, one song in English and then one in Spanish.
Q : Everybody sort of knows your nickname by now is Big Christmas. Obviously that’s sort of one of the one you’re known by since you arrived in the big leagues. But there’s another nickname you earned early on, right? La Belleza, or The Beauty.
JN : That actually comes from (Mariners All-Star) Julio Rodriguez. I got to meet him in 2015 when I was in the Dominican Prospect League. And in that moment between the group of guys I was somehow maybe the best looking, so he just kept calling me The Beauty.
Q : When you made your major league debut in Baltimore, a boisterous group of Guardians fans welcomed you to the big leagues while you were stretching. What do you remember about that night, besides homering on the first pitch you saw? JN : I was very thankful for them because they’ve been following my whole career in the minors. Obviously it was very nice to see them there, and especially for them making me feel welcome.
I remember that moment and how happy that made me feel to see them there on that special day. If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.
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