Looking for a spark in their lineup, the Los Angeles Angels shocked the baseball world by selecting the contract of rookie Nolan Schanuel from Double-A Rocket City prior to their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
Schanuel was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and had appeared in only 21 games at the Minor League level before joining the Angels.
The 21-year-old batted leadoff and started at first base in his big league debut, going 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. He went 1-for-4 in each of his next two games as well, and was part of the team’s first triple play since 1997.
Angels manager Phil Nevin has been impressed with the little things Schanuel has done so far in his Major League career, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group:
“Those are just baseball-awareness, high-IQ plays, which is everything we’ve heard about him,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said of Schanuel. “He busted out of the box too, plays the game hard, plays the game right. You can look at numbers and tell when people are winning players. For two days I’ve seen a winning baseball player out there.”
Rays manager Kevin Cash also praised the Angels for not being afraid to quickly promote their draft picks to the Majors:
“I think a lot of people are going to be paying attention (to how) the Angels have been very aggressive with (2022 first-round pick Zach) Neto, then now (Schanuel), just to see how it plays out,” he said. “I’ll be interested to see from afar how he does. I certainly wish him well.”
Earlier this season, the Angels selected the contract of Zach Neto, who was taken with the 13th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He has since become the Angels’ everyday shortstop but is currently on the 10-day injured list with a back injury.
Schanuel is looking to become the latest success story and stick with the Angels for the long run. Despite only playing in three games, he has already made a strong impression on his teammates and coaching staff.
Nolan Schanuel had whirlwind of emotions over Angels call-up
After learning that he was being called up to the Angels, Schanuel called his family and friends to share the news. Given that he was drafted just six weeks ago, not many people believed him at first.
