Top prospect Schanuel making big strides with power, glove

TEMPE, Ariz. -- In his new role as the club’s No. 2 hitter, the Angels want rookie first baseman Nolan Schanuel to continue to display his impressive contact skills and patience at the plate. But they're also encouraging him to pick out his spots to show off his power.

Ranked as the club’s No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Schanuel is coming off an impressive showing last season that saw him reach base safely in all 29 games he played in with the Angels -- despite getting called up just 40 days after being the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 Draft. The 22-year-old put up an impressive .402 on-base percentage but hit just one homer and three doubles in 132 plate appearances.

Schanuel, though, showed plenty of power while starring at Florida Atlantic University and connected on a no-doubt blast on Saturday against the Guardians for his first homer of the spring. So the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder isn’t worried about a lack of pop.

“It felt good because I’d been working and training all offseason to unlock that power,” Schanuel said. “I came into spring just trying to pick and choose when to do it. I don't want to overdo myself trying to do it every at-bat when it’s not necessary. My job is to get on base with the guys behind me.”

Angels manager Ron Washington loves Schanuel’s contact skills, which is why he views him as the perfect two-hole hitter instead of utilizing him in a leadoff role like he was last year. He was happy to see Schanuel hit his first Cactus League homer, but cautioned that it’s just a small part of his evolving game.

“He has that power, but it certainly isn't anything I want him always trying to do,” Washington said. “He has too good of bat-to-ball skills. And I want him to not forget he can do that. And when the opportunity presents itself, and they throw something and he wants to open up, open up. But I don't want him to open up every at-bat.”

Schanuel -- who drew a walk in the Angels' 5-4 win over the Padres at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday -- is aware of his role in the offense and still views himself as someone who can help others such as Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Brandon Drury drive in runs.

“I like it a lot,” Schanuel said. “I think it's really good for me because I feel like I can do a lot of jobs like move the runner over and things like that. Or if somebody is on second with nobody out, get them over to third so that Trout or Drury can drive them in. It’s all about scoring runs.”

Schanuel has also enjoyed his time working with Washington and infield coach Ryan Goins on his defense each day and believes he’s getting better at first base. He graded out as slightly below average according to defensive metrics last year, but Washington is a noted infield guru who helped mold Freddie Freeman into a Gold Glove winner.

“It's amazing,” Schanuel said. “I've seen so much progress already and it’s only been three weeks. So it's awesome. I go out there every morning and learning something new every day.”

Washington joked that Schanuel has seen so much improvement that sometimes he doesn’t even recognize him when working with him in the morning on infield drills.

“He’s looking athletic now because he’s coming in every morning and he's putting in the work and he's understanding the work and now he's applying the work,” Washington said. “Just keep watching. You’ll see it grow and grow. Sometimes I want to go up to him and say, ‘Hey, I’m Ron Washington, what’s your name?’ But he’s making progress and having fun doing it.”

Angels tidbits

• No. 3 prospect Caden Dana is scheduled to start for the Angels in their Spring Breakout game against the Dodgers on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The Angels will first play the Cubs in a Cactus League game before their top prospects play against Dodgers top prospects in a game that is scheduled to start at roughly 4:10 p.m. PT. Minor League field coordinator Joe Kruzel will serve as manager for the Angels.

• Right-hander Chase Silseth became the first Angels pitcher to get through four innings this spring, allowing one run on one hit and a walk with two strikeouts against the Padres on Sunday. He was so efficient he also had to throw 15 more pitches in a bullpen session after his outing. His lone run allowed came after a walk, and he stressed the importance of getting ahead of hitters.