In a shock move Friday morning, the Los Angeles Angels are calling up their 2023 first-round draft pick, Nolan Schanuel, from Double-A. The 11th overall pick in the draft -- less than six weeks ago! -- Schanuel was hitting .370/.510/.493 in 21 minor league games after a standout career at Florida Atlantic.
The Angels clearly see Schanuel as the first baseman of the future, but this is a rare -- and fascinating -- acceleration of the usual timeline. How rare? What made the Angels do it? What are they expecting from Schanuel down the stretch?