MADISON, Ala. — Rocket City Trash Pandas first baseman Nolan Schanuel is in the big leagues. The Angels promoted him for his Major League debut.
"This is an awesome opportunity for an incredibly talented player,” Trash Pandas Manager Andy Schatzley said. “He’s a very impressive player and the strides that he’s made in such a short amount of time are even more impressive.”
Schanuel became the 25th former Rocket City player to make his MLB debut (24th for the Angels) and the eighth to do so in 2023. The others are Jordyn Adams, Trey Cabbage, José Soriano, Ben Joyce, Sam Bachman, Zach Neto, Kolton Ingram, and Victor Mederos.
According to the Rocket City Trash Pandas, Schanuel was selected by the Angels with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on July 9, Schanuel joined the Trash Pandas on July 28 after playing five games between the ACL Angels and Low-A Inland Empire. In 16 games for Rocket City, Schanuel batted .339 (20-for-59) with one home run, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, and 16 walks while striking out only nine times.
“One of the most impressive things he’s been able to do is manage his at-bats,” Schatzley said. “The quality and the consistency of his at-bats at this level with such a gap in his schedule and such little professional experience is a huge separator for me.”