Angels News: Phil Nevin Praises Nolan Schanuel After Impressive MLB Debut

Rookie Nolan Schanuel impressed his manager!

After having a difficult season, the Angels had something to smile about as 2023 first-round pick Nolan Schanuel made his MLB debut on Friday less than six weeks after being called up to the major leagues.

Not only did he make his MLB debut on Friday and bat leadoff ahead of the great Shohei Ohtani, but he also got his first career hit and turned an incredible triple play, earning the praise of his manager, Phil Niven.

“I thought he put together some really good at-bats,” Nevin said. “Huge walk in front of Shohei’s grand slam. It’s been a shot in the arm with some young guys here. The base hit was a big at-bat. Finishing off the triple play, that is just great field awareness and instincts. Made a nice play on the line drive as well. So that was a nice first day for him.”

Via OC Register

The Angels are fighting an uphill battle to earn the last American League Wild Card spot. They have had many injuries to key player, and their pitching has been lousy. Their ERA of 4.24 is the 24th-lowest in the major leagues.

Mike Trout is nearing his return (maybe even sooner than you think) after missing almost 2 months with a broken wrist. No one knows when or if Anthony Rendon will return from a nasty bone bruise. Shohei Ohtani has been carrying the team, but he is fatigued.

On Friday, the Angels had a game for the ages when Ohtani hit a grand slam and they turned a triple play. Having Schanuel make a great major league debut is a good sign for the Angels, whether it helps this year is another story, though.

The Angels oneed good young players out of their farm system to improve their major league team over the next decade, especially if Ohtani walks in free agency.. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2014, and the likelihood of them making the postseason this year is slim. The Angels must need a brighter future.