OC Register: Angels’ Nolan Schanuel impressing early with his ‘baseball IQ’

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM ― Nolan Schanuel couldn’t pick a highlight from his first day in the big leagues. He had too many choices.

“All of it,” the Angels’ first baseman said Saturday when asked to identify his favorite moment from his debut Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Schanuel ostensibly arrived ahead of schedule because of his bat. The 11th overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, Schanuel hit .370 with a .510 on-base percentage over 21 games across the Rookie, Single-A and Double-A levels before the Angels purchased his contract from the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

After a couple days in the big leagues, the top Schanuel highlights have revolved more around his ability to compete at game speed on the bases and in the field ― no small feat for a 21-year-old whose last game at Florida Atlantic University was in May.

In the ninth inning Friday, Schanuel was the second pivot man in a rare 6-4-3-2 triple play. He became the first player in his debut to take part in a triple play since Kansas City Royals catcher Sal Fasano on April 3, 1996.

It was the seventh triple play in franchise history and the first since July 5, 1997.

Saturday, Schanuel scored the Angels’ third run when a passed ball got past Rays catcher Rene Pinto in the third inning, allowing him to advance 90 feet. Each was the kind of play that might require more than 21 minor league games for a player to experience first-hand. For Schanuel, his “baseball IQ” was enough to overcome his scant professional experience.

“Those are just baseball-awareness, high-IQ plays, which is everything we’ve heard about him,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said of Schanuel. “He busted out of the box too, plays the game hard, plays the game right. You can look at numbers and tell when people are winning players. For two days I’ve seen a winning baseball player out there.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash noticed, too.

“I think a lot of people are going to be paying attention (to how) the Angels have been very aggressive with (2022 first-round pick Zach) Neto, then now (Schanuel), just to see how it plays out,” he said. “I’ll be interested to see from afar how he does. I certainly wish him well.”

TROUT UPDATE

Mike Trout (left hamate fracture) took swings Saturday morning and afternoon, but was not cleared to return from the injured list prior to either of the Angels’ two games against the Rays.

Although Nevin said Trout was “getting real close” prior to Game 1, the decision not to activate him prior to Game 2 was not difficult ― even though Trout would have had a day off Sunday and possibly Monday too, depending on the impact of rainfall left behind by Tropical Storm Hilary.

“Listening to him, listening to the doctors, he’s close,” Nevin said of Trout. “It’s almost to the point where we can come close to saying ‘day to day’ but today’s not the day.”

SILSETH ON SILSETH

Chase Silseth’s hot streak ― 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in four starts since July 19 ― came to an abrupt halt in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader.

The right-hander was pulled after allowing two home runs in the fourth inning, five runs in all, and did not factor into the decision in a 7-6 win. Afterward, Silseth said he was not “using my lower half very well,” which led to command issues with several of his pitches.

It’s the kind of mistake Silseth was not comfortable trying to correct in the middle of a game.

“You start to figure it out, and start thinking ‘my mechanics are off’ or ‘I’m out of rhythm’ … it’s hard to compete when you’re thinking too much about mechanics,” he said. “You have to trust your preparation. I didn’t trust my preparation.”

ALSO

Pitcher Jimmy Herget was appointed as the 27th player for the doubleheader. …  The probable starters for the Angels’ series against the Cincinnati Reds are Lucas Giolito (Monday), Reid Detmers (Tuesday) and Shohei Ohtani (Wednesday). Cincinnati has announced that Graham Ashcraft and Andrew Abbott will start the first two games of the series. Wednesday’s starter is TBD.

UP NEXT

The Angels have a day off Sunday.

Related Articles

• Los Angeles Angels |
  Bullpen shines as Angels win Game 1 of doubleheader
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Angels lose in 10 innings, despite Shohei Ohtani’s grand slam and a triple play
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Nolan Schanuel’s quick promotion to Angels was unexpected for him and his family
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Dodgers, Angels reschedule Sunday games due to Hurricane Hilary
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Angels to promote prospect Nolan Schanuel, who was just drafted last month

View the full article

[Chuck]

Lord knows this team needs to bolster their baseball IQ. Schanuel helps! 

[gurn67]

Right now, they need someone who can mash. I don't care if he's got the baseball IQ of Forrest Gump.

[tomsred]

4 hours ago, gurn67 said:

Right now, they need someone who can mash. I don't care if he's got the baseball IQ of Forrest Gump.

Right now they need several that can pitch, defend, and move runners.  This team has hit plenty of homers, while fans love that it’s not providing wins.  

[khouse]

6 hours ago, tomsred said:

Right now they need several that can pitch, defend, and move runners.  This team has hit plenty of homers, while fans love that it’s not providing wins.  

Yes...an improved knowledge of situational hitting to advance runners would be a great improvement. But, while this is great...I've often wondered about the team's overall "IQ". As, it is quite odd that the team's use of analytics seems to be so shrouded in mystery. As it would be great to know how they are being used in the players they draft and, especially the free agents they sign. As with Escobar, Moose, Gritchuk & Cron I would love to know how they were applied (if it all) & if so...what did the metrics say about their past or present use (or misuse) that made them attractive targets & what was the projected impact each were expected to have? 

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, khouse said:

Yes...an improved knowledge of situational hitting to advance runners would be a great improvement. But, while this is great...I've often wondered about the team's overall "IQ". As, it is quite odd that the team's use of analytics seems to be so shrouded in mystery. As it would be great to know how they are being used in the players they draft and, especially the free agents they sign. As with Escobar, Moose, Gritchuk & Cron I would love to know how they were applied (if it all) & if so...what did the metrics say about their past or present use (or misuse) that made them attractive targets & what was the projected impact each were expected to have? 

Yea you’re not getting that information. Just like we don’t know how the Rays, Dodgers or Astros use analytics to improve performances or utilize them to target free agents. We know they use them but we aren’t privy to any of it. 

[BTH]

4 hours ago, Stradling said:

Yea you’re not getting that information. Just like we don’t know how the Rays, Dodgers or Astros use analytics to improve performances or utilize them to target free agents. We know they use them but we aren’t privy to any of it. 

Yeah, though you can spot trends if you really want to know without actually knowing @khouse

For example, the Angels have targeted a lot of pitchers who induce weak contact (low hard hit percentages) and hit the ball hard (high avg exit velos).

[Angels 1961]

To me he just looks like a player. Felt same way about O'Hoppe and Neto after watching them for a few games.

[Taylor]

Studies have proven that putting the smart kids in the same classroom with the dumb kids is beneficial for both the smart and the dumb kids.

[tomsred]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

Studies have proven that putting the smart kids in the same classroom with the dumb kids is beneficial for both the smart and the dumb kids.

Does that apply to message boards too? LOL

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, tomsred said:

Does that apply to message boards too? LOL

So far it doesn’t. 

[Taylor]

13 minutes ago, tomsred said:

Does that apply to message boards too? LOL

Obviously not.

[Revad]

2 hours ago, Taylor said:

Studies have proven that putting the smart kids in the same classroom with the dumb kids is beneficial for both the smart and the dumb kids.

So it’s kind of like this board, we’re just short some smart kids.  

[Revad]

51 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Obviously not.

I disagree 

[Angels 1961]

On 8/20/2023 at 6:05 PM, Revad said:

So it’s kind of like this board, we’re just short some smart kids.  

I'm smart I know things

[Inside Pitch]

On 8/19/2023 at 9:33 PM, Chuckster70 said:

Lord knows this team needs to bolster their baseball IQ. Schanuel helps! 

He and Neto have both shown tremendous baseball IQ.... If one were to be a negative Nancy, you could almost argue their short stay in the minors made it so the Angels couldn't dumb them down...

True baseball genius!