Nolan Schanuel Is Not Being Talked About Enough

A Blog By Tobey

The Angels have been ridiculed by many for fast-tracking their top prospects into the big leagues, rather than letting them develop consistent success in the minor league levels. One prospect in particular that saw a fast-track that puzzled many was the rise of Nolan Schanuel. After being selected to the Angels at No. 11 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, it took Schanuel just weeks to make it to Anaheim. While not being a flashy power hitting first baseman, his game isn’t one that is watched closely by many, but his progression needs to stop going unnoticed.

The Rise To The Big Leagues

Schanuel earned his first round selection in 2023 after putting up an incredible career at Florida Atlantic. In three seasons, he slashed .385/.516/.698 with a 1.214 OPS. He signed for $5.25 million with the Angels, and proceeded to make the quickest debut for a position player in almost 50 years.

40 days was all it took for Schanuel to make it up to the big leagues. In one minor league “season”, he hit .365 with a .992 OPS across three levels. The success at FAU and the short success in the minor leagues was all the Angels needed to see. He would now join names like Zach Neto and Ben Joyce on the list of fast-tracked players to the show.

The Year To Year Changes

Schanuel was solid for his first full season in 2024. He was a .250 hitter with 13 HR’s, with some potential shown to be able to hit more. Throughout the 2025 season so far, it’s seemed as if Schanuel continues to improve, and the year to year changes show that.

One of the biggest critiques of Schanuel’s game is his low power numbers for a LHH first baseman. In 2025, those power metrics are starting to improve slightly across the board. His Exit Velocity, Launch Angle, Barrel%, Hard-Hit%, and Sweet-Spot% have all risen. While he’s still below league average in a lot of these metrics, he’s personally improved across the board.

The true calling card to Schanuel’s game is his overall hit tool. He has incredible plate discipline, and can hit for average to consistently be a guy who gets on base. In 2025, the plate discipline also improved, with his BB% increasing, and the K% and Whiff% both decreasing.

Data: Baseball Savant

Improvements vs. The Fastball

In his short career so far, Schanuel has shown the ability to hit well against breaking pitches. However in 2024, he struggled more with fastballs than any other pitch type. This season that has completely changed. He now is currently hitting .314 with a .467 SLG vs. Fastballs. He has nearly matched his total for doubles against fastballs as well, in not even half the number of pitches.

2025 Splits

Schanuel has always struggled more with left handed pitching than right handers at the big league level. In 2025 however, he improved that already solid production against right handed pitching, currently posting an .818 OPS against them. All of Schanuel’s HR’s in fact have come from right handed arms.

He’s also found success out of the top of the order this season, recording a .793 OPS in 173 AB’s in the second spot of the lineup. While he won’t slug more than most, he delivers when you need him to. In 60 PA with runners in scoring position, he’s hit .319 with an .899 OPS. He’s been a constant early game threat as well, with a 1.040 OPS in the first inning, and a 1.387 OPS in the second.

Overall Production For Los Angeles

When looking at his career as a whole to this point, Schanuel has settled in very nicely to the major league level. He’s raised his batting average and slugging percentage to a career season high, while raising his OPS by currently 65 points from 2024. The advanced metrics nearly across the board have increased, showing signs of a maturing bat in a big league lineup.

In terms of how productive he’s been compared to the rest of the Angels lineup, among all qualified hitters he’s been the second most valuable player in the lineup at 0.9 fWAR. His BB% is the highest at 12.2%, his K% is the lowest at 13.3%, and his batting average and on base percentage are also the highest in the lineup at .278 and .375. His OPS and wRC+ are good for both, second only behind Zach Neto.

It’s clear that at just 23-years-old, Nolan Schanuel has become a key part of this new young core of the Los Angeles Angels. The South Florida native will most likely be a long term resident of Anaheim, as the Angels are watching their 2023 first round pick blossom into a star before their eyes.