Takeaways From Nolan Jones' Magnificent Debut

Nolan Jones went 2-3 in Major League debut, and even saw some action in right field.

Author:
Tommy Wild
Jul 9, 2022 12:38 PM EDT

In this story:

What a debut from one of the Guardians' top prospects, Nolan Jones! If this is a glimpse at what the rest of the budding prospects look like, then Cleveland has a reason to be pumped about their future.

The Bat Already Looks Good

Jones started off his Major League career with a two-out RBI double down the right-field line that scored Owen Miller. He added one more base hit to end the night going 2-3 at the plate.

One of the best parts about watching Nolan play was he looked like a Big League hitter. Even though he flew out to left-field his second time up, Jones worked a 3-2 count and really challenged Royals pitcher, Brady Singer.

In his final at-bat of the night, he looked at three straight balls and got into another 3-2 count, before getting a base hit. He wasn't forcing anything and was making the pitcher pitch to him. This kind of plate discipline and awareness is huge for a young player!

These are the little things that are great to see with young players.

No Third Base, No Problem

Nolan came up with the organization as a third baseman. The only problem with that (even though it's a good problem) is Jose Ramirez is locked up for the long haul and isn't going anywhere. This meant Jones had to make an adjustment.

This adjustment would come as a transition to the outfield, where he would make his debut at. Switching positions is never something easy to do, but Nolan looked cool, comfortable, and collected in his new role.

In the first inning, Whitt Merrifield hit a fly ball to right field, and Jones did a nice job of tracking it down and collecting the out. Kansas City's outfield is not the easiest one to play, making his handful of putouts even more impressive.

Patience With Prospects Is Key

Jones's debut was impressive and exciting, but fans need to be patient and realize that there may be some ups and downs as he settles in as a Big Leaguer. It is certainly not uncommon to have a prospect come up and struggle at first.

Just this year, Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, and Adley Rutschman all started off strong, only to hit a rough patch along the way. They would all find their way out of it, but it still shows that even the best prospects in baseball need time to make the adjustment.

Nolan's rebuttal to all of this is that he has already played six seasons in the Minor League, so he has been around the game and playing it professionally for longer than the rest of those prospects.

Either way, having Nolan up with the Big League club is exciting for him, his teammates, and all Guardians fans!

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