Nolan Jones Misses Weekend Games For Brother's Wedding
Nolan Jones was at his brother's wedding as the best man this weekend and therefore missed the team's last two games against the Detroit Tigers. With Jones sitting two straight immediately after the returns of Kris Bryant and C.J. Cron, speculation opened up about him possibly losing playing time to the veterans of the team. Fortunately, there is a different reason for him not playing either game this weekend. He may still lose some at-bats, but Jones has put up a .315/.398/.528 slash line this season and even an organization like Colorado should be able to see that he deserves playing time.
Source: Thomas Harding
Colorado Rockies outfielder Source: Thomas Harding
Nolan Jones, Angel Martinez Out Against Twins
Nolan Jones and Angel Martinez are both getting a day off on Thursday against the division-rival Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Jhonkensy Noel is starting in right field and batting fifth, while Daniel Schneemann gets the start in center field and is hitting out of the six-hole against Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. Jones is hitting just .171 (12-for-70) on the year with a homer, five RBI and two steals, so it's possible the 26-year-old left-handed hitter could start losing more playing time against right-handed pitching. Martinez is hitting .333 (19-for-57) but hasn't homered and has only five RBI. The Dominican outfielder has seen most of the playing time in center with Lane Thomas (wrist) on the injured list. Noel and Schneemann have faced Woods Richardson a combined seven times and haven't recorded a single hit.
Source: MLB.com
Cleveland Guardians outfielders Source: MLB.com
Nolan Jones The Only Source Of Offense Sunday
Nolan Jones went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in his team's 11-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He also drew a walk and struck out. It was Jones' first long ball of the season, and the three RBIs brought him up to five to match his run total. The former second-round pick has had a dreadful start to the year, batting .190 (12-for-63) with five doubles and two steals across 24 appearances. Despite the lack of statistical output, the 26-year-old holds a strong 14.9% walk rate and is hitting the ball incredibly hard. Jones' average exit velocity (96.3 MPH) and hard-hit rate (65%) are the best figures in the bigs. Furthermore, it appears he's having some bad BABIP luck (.244 xBA). With batted ball metrics like this, the home runs should begin to fall as he sees some positive regression.
Source: ESPN
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Source: ESPN
Nolan Jones Expected To Be In Strong Side Of Platoon In Right Field
Nolan Jones' at-bats this year are expected to come in right field against right-handed pitchers. After the Guardians acquired Jones from the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, they also optioned left-handed-hitter Will Brennan to Triple-A Columbus. Jhonkensy Noel is expected to get starts in right field when Cleveland faces left-handed pitchers. The 26-year-old Jones, who was previously selected by the Guardians in the second round in 2016, is moving from the best hitter's park in baseball in Coors Field to Progressive Field, which actually played very favorably to lefty hitters in 2024. He hit 20 homers and stole 20 bags in 106 games in 2023 before slumping to a .227/.321/.320 slash line and only three homers in 79 games in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. If Jones can avoid injuries in his return to Cleveland, a bounce-back could be coming.
Source: MLB.com - Tim Stebbins
MLB.com's Tim Stebbins writes that the bulk of Cleveland Guardians new outfielder Source: MLB.com - Tim Stebbins
Nolan Jones Traded To Guardians
Nolan Jones has been traded to the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. Jones was scratched ahead of Saturday's contest, so now that makes sense why he was benched. The 26-year-old will head to Cleveland in exchange for infielder Tyler Freeman. The Guardians can't be exactly sure what they will be getting with Jones. He put together an outstanding 2023 season with a .297 batting average, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in 106 games. However, Jones was awful in 2024, hitting only .227 with three homers and five steals with the Rockies. Jones has a strong arm in the outfield, but his defense isn't exactly stellar right now. It's worth noting that Jones began his career in Cleveland, so now it appears they want him back after two seasons in Colorado.
Source: Jeff Passan
Colorado Rockies outfielder Source: Jeff Passan
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