Local slugger Nolan Schanuel to join Ohtani, Trout with Angels after historic promotion
Nolan Schanuel needed only 21 minor league games to convince the Los Angeles Angels that he belonged in the major league.
Schanuel, a standout at Park Vista High and Florida Atlantic, was called up by the Angels late Thursday, not even six weeks after being the 11th overall pick in the MLB draft. It's the fastest big league promotion for a non-pitcher in decades.
Larry Greenstein, Schanuel's coach at Park Vista, spoke briefly with his former player Friday morning. Schanuel was on his way to the airport to fly to California, where the Angels were preparing for a weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
"I had a feeling this day would come sooner rather than later," Greenstein said. "But I'm not sure I thought it would happen this soon."
Schanuel, 21, played at three levels in the Angels' minor league system, advancing from Rookie League to Single-A to Double-A before the end of July. He had a slash line of .370/.510/.493 with one home run and 15 RBIs. He walked 21 times and struck out only 10.
'A born hitter': FAU baseball's Nolan Schanuel rises as MLB prospect after dominant season
Schanuel was considered one of the most advanced hitters in college baseball after his junior season at FAU when he led all of Division I in batting average (.447) and on-base percentage (.615). He had more home runs (19) than strikeouts (14), and his 71 walks were tied with No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews of LSU for most in the nation.
He was projected as a late first-round pick by most scouting services, but the Angels grabbed him with the 11th pick.
"There's a reason why they took him that high," Greenstein said. "In my heart, we all believe in him and know what he's capable of doing."
The Angels have a history of promoting their draft choices quickly. In 2022, they called up their first-round pick, shortstop Zach Neto, in mid-April after only 201 minor league plate appearances. Pitchers Chase Silseth (11th round, 2021) and Ben Joyce (third round, 2022) also have played for the Angels this season.
After being selected in July, Schanuel told the Los Angeles Times: "I want to be right there with Zach Neto, Ben Joyce, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani. I want to be a teammate of theirs and get going."
There's a chance that Schanuel, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound left-handed hitter, will move right into the starting lineup at first base. C.J. Cron, acquired from Colorado at the trade deadline, has struggled at the plate and is having back problems. Trout and Neto also have been bothered by injuries as the Angels (60-62) have nearly slipped out of contention in the AL wild-card race.
Schanuel went 2-for-4 in his final appearance for the Double-A Trash City Pandas in a 6-0 victory over the Tennessee Smokies on Thursday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, then had to prepare for a cross-country flight. The last non-pitchers to reach the big leagues this quickly were Braves third baseman Bob Horner (10 days) and Blue Jays catcher Brian Milner (17 days) in 1978.
Greenstein calls Schanuel the best hitter he's seen in 38 years of high school coaching — and he coached 2021 NL batting champion Trea Turner at Park Vista. Greenstein, who is using a walker since undergoing hip replacement surgery, could barely contain his excitement Friday when he learned of Schanuel's promotion.
"When you get news like that," he said, "well, my hip didn't bother me for the first two hours of school today."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Park Vista's Nolan Schanuel promoted to Angels after just 21 pro games
