There’s a reason he was called up to the major leagues just 40 days after signing. The Angels’ top prospect, Nolan Chanuel, 21, is making his presence felt.
He started the game at first base against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2023 Major League Baseball game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 31.
After being silent for most of the game, Chanuel’s bat shined in the final moments. With his team trailing 7-8 in the top of the ninth inning, he lined a single to right field to put runners on first and third with no outs. The Angels responded with a sacrifice fly by Luis Renfroe to tie the game at 8-8. Two batters later, Brandon Drury hit a two-run homer to make it 10-8.
Chanuel finished 1-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored to put his team in scoring position in the final at-bat.
Chanuel was selected by the Angels with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft last month. Within 40 days of joining the organization, Chanuel was promoted to the big leagues through Rookie, Single-A, and Double-A, and made his major league debut on Sept. 19 at home against the Tampa Bay Rays. 안전놀이터
So far, Chanuel has exceeded expectations. In 10 games, he’s batting .324 (12-for-37) with two doubles and an OPS of .808. While he needs to build up his sample size, there’s plenty to be excited about considering he was called up to the big leagues in his rookie year, and after only 40 days.
Most notably, Chanuel became the first player in franchise history to hit safely in each of his first 10 games. The previous record was David Eckstein’s first nine games in 2001. Chanuel completed a feat that hadn’t been accomplished by Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, who have become the team’s mainstays.
The Angels, meanwhile, are 64-70 on the season and are in a red light situation, as they’ve opened up a “11.5” game lead over the third wild-card spot (Texas Rangers, 75-58). Despite the dark cloud hanging over the team, Chanuel’s performance has been a bright spot.
Chanuel is making a name for himself in franchise history. Can he become the Angels’ hope for the future?