Nolan Schanuel, a Double-A first baseman, has been called up by the Los Angeles Angels, less than six weeks after the team selected the 21-year-old Florida Atlantic standout with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Before being called up, Schanuel had played in 21 games and less than 100 plate appearances in the minor league, totaling just 40 days.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Schanuel was incredibly productive at FAU, hitting.447/.615/.868 with 19 home runs, 71 walks, and only 14 strikeouts in 289 plate appearances. He is one of the most big league-ready hitters in this year’s draft.
According to ESPN, Schanuel’s promotion by the Angels was the fifth-fastest among position players in MLB Draft history and the fastest for any athlete in decades. Chris Sale, who rose to prominence roughly two months after the 2010 Draft, was the last player to make his debut this early in his draft season.
But this isn’t the organization’s first time doing this. After 201 minor league plate appearances, the Angels selected shortstop Zach Neto in the first round of the 2022 draft. Prior to that, they also had right-hander Chase Silseth, who made his major league debut in May 2022 after being selected in the 11th round of the 2021 draft, make the fastest debut from a 2021 pick.
The Angels’ playoff chances are diminishing as Shohei Ohtani approaches free agency, as they are currently 60-62 and seven games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the last American League wild-card berth. Their playoff odds according to Fangraphs are 0.8%.
