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Jhonkensy Noel having a big September for…

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Saturday, January 20th 2024

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Jhonkensy Noel having a big September for Triple-A Columbus | Guardians minors roundup for Sept. 10

Jhonkensy Noel stretches out to make a catch during a Guardians-White Sox spring training game March 1 in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin – The Associated Press)
Jhonkensy Noel stretches out to make a catch during a Guardians-White Sox spring training game March 1 in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin – The Associated Press)
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Triple-A Columbus Clippers (4-2) vs. Scranton Wilks-Barre Railriders (Yankees)

While the minor-league season is winding down at the lower levels, at Triple-A, there are two weeks to go in the season. The Clippers are out of the playoff race but that hasn’t stopped Jhonkensy Noel from having a big September. He had two homers in the final month of the year coming into this series against Scranton, then hit a 446-foot homer and added two RBI in the Clippers’ 10-5 win on Sept. 8. He hit two more, including a walk-off two-run homer on Sept. 9 in a 5-3 win. For the week, Noel had three homers and seven RBI despite going hitless in the finale on Sept. 10. The 6-foot-3 right handed hitter has a .752 OPS on the year despite 26 homers.

With the addition of Kyle Manzardo, Noel has mostly seen time in the outfield, and Manzardo hit his first homer as a member of the Guardians organization this week as well on Sept. 8 in the 10-5 win. Manzardo only went 4-for-18 on the week (.222/.318/.500), but homered, doubled twice and drew four walks, compared to three strikeouts. Since joining Columbus, Manzardo is hitting .267/.364/.467 through 12 games.

George Valera was part of the homer brigade in the Sept. 8 win, because three homers in a game usually helps you win. It was the only impact game Valera had all week, but he did draw four walks and he’s having a solid September after a rocky year between injuries and earlier struggles, hitting .241/.371/.517.

Offense carried the Clippers most of the week, though Zach Plesac threw eight innings of one-run ball on Sept. 7 in a 2-1 win, as he tries to pitch himself into some team’s plans in 2024. Emerging relief prospect Cade Smith made one appearance all week, giving up a run in two innings of work but striking out five in those two innings.

Columbus starts its final trip of 2023 on Sept. 12 at Toledo (Tigers).

Double-A Akron RubberDucks (1-5) at Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants)

Pitching was an issue much of the week for Akron until the series finale, when they shut out Richmond. Will Dion gave the ‘Ducks plenty of chances to win. He allowed just one run in five innings on Sept. 5 in a 4-2 loss and struck out eight. On Sept. 10, he came in behind Jack Leftwich and threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in the win to cap off the series.

Out of the bullpen, relievers Tyler Thornton and Franco Aleman continued their success for the most part for the better pitching performances on the week. Thornton went 3 1/3 innings across two outings, struck out four, and allowed just a hit, walk, and a hit batter. Aleman continued his streak of not allowing an earned run. He did allow an unearned run on Sept. 6 in a 6-5 loss. He struck out three batters in an inning, but in extra innings, Aleman made two errors and the runner on second scored the winning run. He stuck out the only batter he faced for a save in the 1-0 win on Sept. 10.

Bryce Ball did a lot of the heavy lifting for Akron offensively in a tough week. He had a pair of homers on Sept. 9 in the 5-4 loss, driving in all three runs on the week for him. He had two other hits in the series.

Juan Brito did just enough to help Akron pull off a 1-0 win on Sept. 10 with a double and homer. Brito did have six hits and three RBI in the six-game series at Richmond.

Akron will host one final homestand next week against Altoona (Pirates). There’s a chance it may get some reinforcements from Lake County as the Captains’ season wrapped up over the weekend. Erie, meanwhile, will not have 2023 first overall pick Paul Skenes drawing tickets in Akron as the Pirates decided to shut him down for the remaineder of 2023.

High-A Lake County Captains (5-1) vs. Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics)

Despite making it tough to chase down a playoff spot last week at Cedar Rapids and just one loss all week, the Captains ended the season on a strong note. Jake Fox had a massive July and cooled off in August, but had a fantastic September finish. He had two homers in the series, one while going 3-for-5 with three RBI in a 13-1 on Sept 6. He hit a massive three-run homer while going 3-4 and driving in four runs in a 5-1 win Sept. 9.  Fox had five extra-base hits and eight RBI in the series against Lansing.

Chase DeLauter missed half the year with a foot injury going back to college and had some foot problems early in his time at Lake County. But on the field, he showed why he was a first-round pick in 2022. DeLauter was 8-for-18 in the final series, playing five games. He homered in the 4-0 win on Sept. 7, and he drove in seven runs, pushing a run across in four of the five games he plate. The 21-year-old outfielder who turns 22 next month finished his Captains career hitting .366/.403/.539 with 18 doubles and four homers. There’s a chance DeLauter could join Akron for its final homestand this week. But he is reportedly going to represent the Guardians in the Arizona Fall League next month.

Kahlil Watson only played in the first two games of the series and was a late scratch in the third, but was 3-for-5 in his final game of the season with a homer and three RBI in the 13-1 win Sept. 6. In 23 games with Lake County, Watson hit .233/.306/.442 with five homers and 11 steals, compared to seven homers and 14 steals in 58 games for Beloit before he was traded over from Miami.

Lake County had plenty of strong starting pitching in the final series. Ryan Webb had a great September, going six innings, allowing one unearned run only on Sept. 5 in a 3-2 win. He fanned six and walked one. Webb started the series finale and went six more innings, allowing an earned run this time and struck out four in another 3-2 win.

Parker Messick struck out seven in six innings while giving up just one run in the 5-1 win on Sept. 9. Aaron Davenport tossed six shutout innings in the 4-0 win on Sept. 7. Ethan Hankins was on his way to a good start on Sept. 6, throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings in the Captains 13-1 win, but Hankins was knocked out by a comebacker hitting his right wrist and ending his season.

Lake County opens its 2024 season at home on April 5, hosting West Michigan (Tigers).

Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats (3-3) vs. Kannapolis Cannonballers (White Sox)

After losing the first two games of the season finale series and homestand, the Hillcats played much better to split the series to end the year.

2023 draft pick, first baseman/outfielder CJ Kayfus had a strong, short stint in Lynchburg and had three hits, including a homer Sept. 7 in a 9-8 Hillcats win. He was 2-3 with four more RBI Sept. 9 in a 6-5 win. The soon-to-be 22-year-old left-handed hitter posed a .271/.429/.542 line at Single-A in 17 games to start his pro career.

Outfielder Wuilfredo Antunez came into the year as a prospect to watch, and had an up-and-down season as a 20-year-old. He finished the season going 4-for-14 in the final series with a triple and a homer.

Infielder Angel Genao finished a strong second half off with a four-hit series against Kannapolis, including a 2-for-2 day with a double and two walks in the Hillcats’ 4-3 win on Sept. 10.

It was a mixed bag of pitching all week for the Hillcats, but lefty Adam Tulloch went six strong innings allowing two earned runs (three total) Sep.t 9 in the 6-5 win. Despite a 7-0 loss on Sept. 5, righty Yorman Gomez allowed just one run in four innings on two hits and a walk while striking out six in the other top pitching performance of the week.

Kayfus’ final RBI hit on Sept. 9 gave the Hillcats the win and the franchise’s first winning record since 2018.

The Hillcats 2024 season starts on April 5 at Down East (Rangers).

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