Los Angeles Angels rookie first baseman Nolan Schanuel is making a strong early impression, proving why Phil Nevin and company drafted him in July and quickly promoted him to the Majors in just 40 days. He has played in eight MLB games and has nine hits as part of an eight-game hitting streak.
Schanuel is one game away from tying David Eckstein’s franchise record of nine straight games with a hit to begin his career. He is batting .333 in those eight games with a .500 on-base percentage. Schanuel has taken seven free passes but has only struck out four times.
The early returns are clear: while Schanuel may not have Major League pop in his bat, his elite plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills make him a valuable piece. It wasn’t until his ninth MLB hit that he recorded his first extra-base hit.
But Schanuel, according to Baseball Savant, has swung at only 19.1% of pitches outside the strike zone in his first 133 pitches seen. The MLB average is 28.4%. And on the rare occasion he does chase, he makes contact better than the average Major Leaguer. He hits on 69.2% of his chases, while the MLB average is 58.0%.
Nevin is getting a first-hand look at all of Schanuel’s early contact success. And he’s sufficiently impressed with everything he’s seen, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“I’ve never seen a young player come up the way you have and slow things down in the batter’s box,” Nevin said he told Schanuel. “All that tells me is everything else is going to slow down really quick for you, quicker than most.”
Schanuel’s discipline stems from work he did at Florida Atlantic University, when he saw his batting average increase from .343 his freshman year to .447 by his third and final college campaign. Now, his goals at the Major League level are simple.
“Right now, my job is to get on for Shohei (Ohtani),” Schanuel said. “That’s my job. If I get on first and he hits a home run, it counts the same as if I hit a double and he hits a homer. I’m just trying to get on base for him. Get on base for (Brandon) Drury, get on base for (Mike Moustakas). Just trying to make everybody happy and score some runs.”
It’s by design that after 40 days in the Minor Leagues, Schanuel received the call-up and instantly found himself in the leadoff spot of the Angels lineup. He can flat out hit and get on base. He takes pitches and gets good contact on strikes.
Those types of attributes regularly lead to success on the field, and it’s been clear in his first eight appearances in the big leagues.
Lucas Giolito struggles with Phillies stars
Angels starter Lucas Giolito allowed three home runs — two to Trea Turner and one to Bryce Harper — in Monday’s loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s Giolito’s fifth loss in six starts where he has seen his ERA jump nearly one full point.
He was honest about his assessment of Monday’s start and his Angels tenure thus far, saying that it hasn’t been good and he’s lost his feel on several occasions.