The Los Angeles Angels have made a habit out of moving their top draft picks quickly through the minor league system. Reid Detmers, Sam Bachman, Zach Neto and Chase Silseth are just some of the players that have debuted within a year or two of being drafted. But now, with 2023 first-round pick Nolan Schanuel, the Angels are outdoing themselves.
The Angels drafted Schanuel, a high-contact first baseman with some pop, with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft back on July 9. After a junior season at Florida Atlantic University that saw him slash .447/.615/.868 with a 1.483 OPS, scouts considered him perhaps the most pro-ready player in the class.
He played just three games in the Arizona Complex League and two games with Class-A Inland Empire before being promoted to Double-A Rocket City. And after 21 games as an Angels minor leaguer, he is getting the rapid call to the big leagues, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN:
The Los Angeles Angels are calling up first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who they took with the 11th overall pick in the draft less than six weeks ago and was in Double-A, sources tell ESPN. The 21-year-old from Florida Atlantic is hitting .370/.510/.493 in 21 minor league games.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 18, 2023
Schanuel impressed in his brief minor league stint with a .370/.510/.493/1.004 slash line. And his 60 hit grade on the MLB 20-80 scouting scale certainly raises an eye. Still, getting the call to the Majors 40 days after being drafted is unprecedented. According to JJ Cooper of Baseball America, it has only happened four times before for position players.
Using our @PramanaLabs Shift tool, the speediest MLB post-draft debuts by position players:
Dave Roberts, Padres, 1972: 1 day
Bob Horner, Braves, 1978: 10 days
Dave Winfield, Padres, 1973, 14 days
Brian Milner, Blue Jays 1978, 17 days
Nolan Schanuel, Angels, 2023, 40 days— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) August 18, 2023
The call-up of Schanuel is certainly connected to the lack of clarity surrounding C.J. Cron’s status. Cron missed Wednesday’s game due to lower back stiffness, and it was reported that he would be re-evaluated when the team returned home on Thursday.
Schanuel making his Major League debut could mean the evaluation revealed a potential injured list stint for the Angels trade deadline acquisition. No move has been formally made by the Angels, though.
Jordyn Adams sees call-up as a great benefit
Another young Angel in the very early stages of his MLB career is Jordyn Adams, who has made less than a handful of Major League starts. He admitted to feeling out of sorts for his debut, but now feels settled in and is ready to contribute to the Angels however he is asked to.