Former FAU star infielder Nolan Schanuel has been recently making his way up the ranks in the minor leagues, and now he will be playing the MLB's Los Angeles Angels for their next upcoming games.
Schanuel got called up by the Angels Thursday night, following astounding performances with the Double-A's Rocket City Trash Pandas over the past couple of weeks. In just 29 days since his professional debut with the Arizona Complex League Angels on July 21, he is the fastest player to get promoted to the majors in FAU history.
He has been a standout for the Trash Pandas as their starting first baseman, displaying a .339 batting average, a .480 on-base percentage, a .475 slugging percentage, 20 hits, 16 walks, 12 RBI, and a home run in 16 games. His overall stint in the minors has him totaling up to 27 hits, 21 walks, and 15 RBI with a .370 batting average in 21 appearances.
The former Owl had an excellent three-year career including a spectacular final season with FAU, finishing with an astounding .447 average, an .868 slugging percentage, 88 hits, 71 walks, 64 RBI, and 19 home runs. Schanuel led all of NCAA Division I in on base percentage (OBP), batting average, walks, and finished third in slugging percentage as well.
This propelled him to become the highest drafted player in FAU history when the Angels selected him in the first round with the 11th pick of this year's MLB Draft on July 9.
"I definitely needed those three years at FAU to progress as a person and as a baseball player… being away from home and off to college really helped me out a lot," Schanuel said on a recent podcast with Rocket City's Play-by-Play voice Josh Caray.
He will be teaming up with stars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout as he assists them in providing a spark to the Angels, who are currently fourth in the American League's West Division with a 60-62 record having lost 11 of their last 15 contests. Their next set of games will be against the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend.
"Very happy and excited for Nolan and his family. Hes worked extremely hard and he deserves everything he gets", said FAU head Coach John McCormack. "This is a great day not only for him, but also for FAU Baseball and the University."
Comments
Once the nerves are gone, hopefully he'll get one under the belt!
Standing ovation as he leaves the field!
And he's on with a walk!
Angels follow-that up with a grand slam and he has hist 1st MLB run scored.
🔥
Well done Nolan!
He has struck out just two times, with the first being his very first at bat.
Since then, only once in 18 trips to the plate.
I mean, that is just R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S.
Don't have time to do a deep dive, but overall has to be some kind of record.
Only mistake I've seen him make is the error on the Elly De La Cruz grounder the other night…so focused on getting to the bag fast (bc EDC has generational speed) and he booted it, cost them the game unfortunately but baseball is a game of errors, that wont hurt his chances staying up.
Just think, 3 months ago he was playing for FAU…..That's crazy...
Are we talking male athlete, or overall including female?
Either way will toss this out…
Alfred Morris would be in the mix too.
As well as Brittney Bowe (eight gold, one silver, and two bronze medals)
Possibly Yolanda Griffith (40th overall all-time WNBA stats leader)
But I think Schanuel will end up being the best overall when it's all said and done barring some freak injury that takes him out.
Good thing is baseball doesn't really have that at his position.
Best athlete in their time at FAU? Motor or Nolan.
Best pro career? Brittany Bowe - a gold medal is tough (if not impossible to top).
Best FAU (collegiate only) athlete, yeah, definitely Motor - hand's down.
Nolan had this one great year.
Motor had one good one, one great one, and one spectacular one.