CLEVELAND, Ohio — As Jhonkensy Noel prepares to return to Baltimore — the very place where his major league career began with a memorable home run in his first at-bat last June — the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast has sparked an intriguing conversation about the young slugger’s current approach at the plate. Despite Noel’s impressive physical frame and raw power potential, his recent success has come through contact hitting rather than the towering home runs many expect from him. This dichotomy formed the centerpiece of a fascinating discussion between podcast hosts Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga. “The thing that intrigues me about Noel is he’s coming off a really good home stand in which he hit .313, )5-for-16), but no power, no home runs, one RBI,” Hoynes observed during the podcast. “But it always sticks in the back of my mind when a power hitter like Noel starts making consistent contact, usually good things follow.” This observation led Hoynes to draw a compelling parallel to one of Cleveland’s most fearsome sluggers from the past. “I remember Albert Bell was like that when he would start hitting balls up the middle, singles and doubles up the middle. Pretty soon the home runs came,” he noted, suggesting Noel’s recent contact-focused approach might be the precursor to a power surge. The discussion revealed an interesting philosophical divide between how fans might perceive Noel versus how the Guardians’ coaching staff views him. While many see his imposing presence and envision a pure power hitter, manager Stephen Vogt appears to have a more nuanced perspective. “Vogt says this is a guy who can, if he makes good decisions in the strike zone, there are going to be positive results like that,” Noga explained. “So I don’t think there’s a lot of panic on the Guardians side about Noel not having a home run.” This patient approach speaks volumes about Cleveland’s development philosophy. Rather than pushing Noel to swing for the fences and potentially create bad habits, they’re encouraging sound decision-making and quality contact — trusting that the power will naturally follow. Hoynes summed up this belief succinctly: “All he has to do is make solid contact and the ball is going to go a long way.” The timing of Noel’s return to Camden Yards adds another layer of intrigue to this storyline. The site of his MLB debut home run could provide just the psychological boost needed to merge his improved contact skills with the power that made that moment so special. The conversation also touched on the broader implications for Cleveland’s outfield configuration once Lane Thomas returns from injury. With Angel Martinez performing well and Noel showing signs of breaking out, the Guardians suddenly have positive selection headaches. Hoynes was unequivocal about what he believes should happen: “I think he stays with Noel, I really do. I think it would be a mistake to go away from him now.” The hosts’ confidence in Noel reflects a broader optimism surrounding the Guardians’ offense, which has shown signs of life during their recent successful homestand, posting multiple runs and 10+ hits in several games. As Cleveland begins their series in Baltimore, all eyes will be on Noel returning to the place where his big league journey began. Will the familiar surroundings of Camden Yards — albeit with yet another reconfigured outfield wall — spark the power that has remained dormant so far this season? Tune in to the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast for continuing coverage of Noel’s development and analysis of the Guardians’ promising road trip as they look to build on their successful homestand momentum. If the player above doesn’t work, you can listen to today’s podcast here. Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.