The Los Angeles Angels are calling up first baseman Nolan Schanuel, their first-round pick in July’s Major League Baseball draft.
Schanuel was the No. 11 overall selection out of Florida Atlantic University, where he hit .447 with 19 home runs in the 2023 season.
Schanuel, 21, was assigned to Double-A Rocket City on July 28 and has hit .370 (27-for-73) across three levels — including .339 at Rocket City — with an OPS of 1.004. He has one home run and 15 RBIs in the minors this season.
His call-up is history-making. ESPN reported that he is the first player since Texas Rangers pitcher Jerry Don Gleaton in 1979 to be called up within 40 days of being drafted.
Last summer, the left-handed-batting Schanuel was playing in the Cape Cod League.
In a corresponding move, the Angels placed first baseman C.J. Cron on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday, with lower back inflammation. Cron, who was acquired from the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline, was batting a combined .252 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs in 70 games for both teams this season.
The Angels, who are seeing their playoff hopes fading amid a 4-11 August, called up shortstop Zach Neto in April. He was their No. 1 pick in 2022 and had 201 at-bats in the minors, although he is currently on IL nursing an oblique injury.
Something says Schaneul might be a good fit for the Angels. His given name is Nolan Ryan Schaneul, presumably after the Hall of Fame pitcher, who pitched for the Angels from 1972-79.
–Field Level Media
