CLEVELAND — The 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game is nearly a week away. And when the annual showcase of Major League Baseball's top prospects takes place, the Cleveland Guardians organization will be well represented.
On Thursday, MLB released its rosters for the All-Star weekend exhibition, which will take place at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 16. Included on the roster for the American League team is a pair of Guardians prospects in outfielders George Valera and Jhonkensy Noel.
Rated by MLB Pipeline as Cleveland's No. 2 overall prospect and the No. 33 prospect in all of baseball, the 21-year-old Valera has appeared in 70 games for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks this season. In that span, the left-handed hitter has hit for a .285 batting average (.903 OPS), 13 home runs, 50 RBI and an Eastern League-leading 56 runs scored.
“It is fun to see George have so much success, and he has gotten better each month of this season,” RubberDucks manager Rouglas Odor said in a statement. “He has impact as a hitter, and he has made great plays in his time at each of the three outfield positions. I think he can be a solid major league outfielder.”
After beginning this season with the High-A Lake County Captains, Noel was promoted to Akron on June 24. In 69 combined games with the Captains and RubberDucks, the right-handed-hitting 20-year-old has hit for a .226 average (.844 OPS) to go along with 24 home runs and 49 RBI.
Noel currently ranks as the Guardians' No. 13 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
“Jhonkensy has already been impressive with our club, and he also has a bright future,” Odor said. “He hits the ball hard, and he has good baseball IQ, running the bases and taking angles. Even though he is new to the outfield, he already looks comfortable there with the plays he has made.”