Nolan Schanuel Shining In Professional Debut
Less than two months ago, the Rocket City Trash Pandas were only something Nolan Schanuel saw as he scrolled across his social media feeds. Now, with a whirlwind few weeks behind him, Schanuel is settling in as the everyday first baseman for the Trash Pandas as they enter the stretch
Less than two months ago, the Rocket City Trash Pandas were only something Nolan Schanuel saw as he scrolled across his social media feeds. Now, with a whirlwind few weeks behind him, Schanuel is settling in as the everyday first baseman for the Trash Pandas as they enter the stretch run.
In between, Schanuel was selected by the Angels with the 11th overall pick in the draft, has moved across the country three times, finally ending up in Rocket City as one of the first 2023 draftees to reach the Double-A level.
This season, Schanuel established himself as one of the top college baseball players in the country. In 59 games for Florida Atlantic, Schanuel hit .447 with 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 71 walks, 18 doubles, and 70 runs in 59 games. He led all of Division I in batting average, on-base percentage, and walks to be named Conference USA Player of the Year.
He made his professional debut with five games between the Arizona Complex League Angels and Low-A Inland Empire before joining Rocket City on July 28. He’s acclimated well to the Trash Pandas, hitting .324 (11-for-34) with a double, a triple, seven RBI, seven walks, and eight runs scored in his first nine Double-A games while striking out only four times.
Recently, Schanuel talked about his adjustment to professional baseball, first thoughts on the Trash Pandas organization, and more.
Q: How do you feel about joining the Trash Pandas?
A: Joining the Trash Pandas has been a blessing to me. The first day I got here, all the guys came in and welcomed me and were nothing but nice. That was a great start. Then after that, getting out and seeing all the fans, I’ve never played in front of an atmosphere like this before. That was a first so I’m getting used to it now. Flying here from California and getting right into it was amazing. I love it.
Q: You got drafted and pretty much went straight from college to Double-A baseball. What has the transition been like so far?
A: So far it’s been a lot of traveling. I’ve never traveled this much in a week in my life. That was probably the hardest part. Since I got here, it’s been cool. Getting to know the guys in the clubhouse and see all different kinds of backgrounds, where they’re from, how they got to pro baseball whether its straight from high school or if they took the same route as me from college and get their perspectives on everything. At the end of the day, it’s baseball so I’m having fun with it.
Q: What do you want to work on to become a better player?
A: I want to improve every aspect of my game. I want to be able to hit for more power, hit better contact. I want to run faster. But I also want to be a good teammate. I want to come into the clubhouse and have everyone around me enjoy my presence and like me as a teammate, more like a person than a baseball player.
Q: You became the first Owl to be picked in the first round of the draft. What does that mean to you?
A: It’s amazing. Right when I got onto campus it was one of my goals to be the highest draft pick out of FAU. Going in, you want to set a whole bunch of goals as a college student. You want to be in the FAU Hall of Fame. If somebody told me I was going to have the year I did, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Q: What’s the most exciting part about joining an organization like the Angels?
A: So far, the best part for me was going out and seeing California. Being able to get the chance to meet Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, two of the best players in baseball, would be amazing. To work under an organization with Perry Minasian as the General Manager is awesome as well.
Q: The Angels have quickly promoted several players over the past few years. Does knowing that you could be in a similar position add any extra motivation?
A: Seeing Zach Neto move up within a year shows that he’s ready for it. I think I’m ready for it as well, so I’m really looking forward to it. But it’s not going to change the motivation that I’ve already had. This has been a lifelong dream of mine and a goal of mind to come out here and be able to play professional baseball. I’ve dreamed of this since I was four years old and had the same mindset since I was in middle and high school. It’s going to be the same mindset I’ve had throughout my whole life.
Nolan Schanuel is taking to Double-A quickly!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 30, 2023
The @Angels' first-rounder picks up three hits and four RBIs in just his second game with the @trashpandas. pic.twitter.com/RIz7jtZqWv
Q: Did you have any previous connections to any of your new teammates?
A: I played with and against Victor Mederos when I was growing up in Florida. He’s from Miami and I’m from Boca Raton, so we would see each other a lot. We were rivals for a long time. We also played against each other when he was at Miami. This is the first time I’ve seen him in a couple years. Now that we’re on the same team, it’s amazing.
Q: What did you know about the Trash Pandas and the Huntsville area before joining the team?
A: I’ve seen everything on social media about the Trash Pandas. The fireworks, the fans, the camaraderie on the field, it’s amazing. Now that I get to be a part of it, it’s even more amazing. About 50 people have called me or texted me asking for some sort of Trash Pandas merchandise. I’ve had to explain what a Trash Panda is to at least 20 people.
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