Nolan
Schanuel

One of the best pure hitters in the entire country, Schanuel just flat out rakes. He has done so for three years straight at FAU while improving across every year into what we’ve seen this spring, which has been nothing short of spectacular. Currently slashing .460/.623/.888 with 18 home runs, 18 doubles, 62 RBI, 14 steals, and one of the most absurd stats in college baseball, 67 walks (24.5% BB rate) to just 14 strikeouts (5.1% K rate) over the course of 56 games this spring. An extremely unorthodox pre-pitch setup at the plate with a very high, over-the-head handset into a pronounced leg-kick that gets him into good position and gets the barrel out front with ease. Above-average bat speed, while utilizing his lower-half extremely well despite a taller frame allows him to create leverage with ease. Schanuel has produced premier average exit velocities throughout his college career and has shown the most discerning eye for the zone that allows his quality of contact to be even better with present above-average all-fields power and plus to the pull-side. A sneaky athlete, who still presents some projection on a 6-foot-4, 210 pound frame, Schanuel can make his money as a corner outfielder at the next level, but I believe the glove could be above-average/plus at first with high OBP and more than enough power production with the bat. I’m beginning to have a hard time believing Schanuel makes it out of the first 20-30 picks come July. It’s a truly advanced approach with elite production that you can see translating to the pro game. FAU hasn’t had a first-round pick in 28 years, and it was the only one they’ve had in school history, Nolan Ryan Schanuel could be poised to break that drought and become the second in school history in just a few short months. 

Cape Cod: Schanuel has been a standout performer for two years at FAU, hitting .343/.444/.576 with 11 homers as a freshman and .369/.477/.658 with 16 homers and 17 doubles as a sophomore. But he did not replicate that success in the Cape League, hitting just .200 with one homer and four doubles in 125 at-bats. Nonetheless, Schanuel impressed with his mature approach, walking (24) as much as he struck out. A fair athlete with a big 6-4, 210-pound frame, Schanuel sets up in the lefthanded batter's box with hands held high, drops consistently down into slot with good timing/rhythm. We saw him make hard contact to center and right on fastballs but struggle a bit against offspeed stuff. Schanuel runs well for his size and is an average defender at first base, though he has also played some third base at FAU in his career. He profiles as a power-hitting first baseman with All-America potential and could be a top-five-to-10-rounds pick next year.

Athletic, very projectable. 6-foot-2, 180 pounds. Left handed hitter has natural loft, there is some length, but projects to have some power.