Steamer projects encouraging power boost for key Angels youngster

Another year, another last-place finish. The Los Angeles Angels' 72-90 record might have been a slight improvement over 2024's franchise-worst 99-loss campaign, but not by much. The way things have played out this winter, the Angels seem to be banking on internal improvements as the primary driver to take them out of the AL West cellar.

That's probably a fool's errand, but the youngsters will once again be front and center. Will Zach Neto make the leap to superstardom? Can Logan O'Hoppe get back on track? Will Christian Moore become a major contributor? These questions are only the beginning.

Another big one is whether or not Nolan Schanuel can hit another gear. His six-foot-two, 220-pound frame gives him the look of a prototypical first baseman, but in terms of power production, he more closely resembles a light-hitting reserve middle infielder. It's been a sore spot for some time, but according to his Steamer projection for 2026, there may be some hope.

Steamer projects a rise in power production from key Angels' youngster Nolan Schanuel

It seems hard to fathom that Schanuel will just be turning 24 on Valentine's Day when it feels like he's been around forever. The Angels' 2023 first-round pick spent just 22 games in the minors before being called up and playing in 29 big league contests that very same year. Most prospects would just be breaking in at this point, but the Florida Atlantic product is now entering his third full season.

There's a lot to like about his game. A strong eye at the plate has served him well, allowing him to draw walks at an 11.3% clip for his career, while keeping the strikeouts at a superb 14.8% mark. Pair that with some decent contact skills, batting .259 for his career, and you've got a nice foundation to work with.

However, Schanuel's power, especially at a premium power position, has left much to be desired. 2025 marked a career high in slugging percentage for the lefty-bat; unfortunately, it was still very impotent, coming in at .389.

Schanuel knows this is a problem. It was something he publicly worked to address last year during spring training, attempting to get stronger and improve his bat speed to deliver more extra-base pop.

For a brief moment, it seemed as if Schanuel was making strides; however, it became clear that any progress he made was incremental at best. Schanuel's bat speed moved from an average of 65.2 miles per hour in 2024 to 67.5 miles per hour in 2025. With that, his increases in hard hit rate, average exit velocity, and barrels were all very modest and still ranked in the bottom 15th percentile of the league or worse.

Could things be different this year? Steamer thinks so. The reliable projection system is predicting a .269/.364/.419 line with a career-best 16 homers for the Halos' first baseman in just 121 games. That won't break any records, but it is a significant improvement and would be a 48-point jump in SLG from Shanuel's career average of .371.

Steamer doesn't just pull things out of thin air; rather, it takes trends into account. Schanuel struggled with a wrist injury in August after being hit by a pitch. He originally tried to play through it, but it severely impacted his performance before going on the IL.

Returning in September, Schanuel only managed seven games down the stretch. That created a small, 29-plate-appearance sample, but in that brief time, his results were noticeably different. Schanuel connected for two homers, added a double, and slugged .500.

Ultimately, Schanuel doesn't need to become a 30-homer monster. Instead, if he can consistently drive the ball into the gap and send the occasional pitch over the wall, the Angels will be fine thanks to the power they receive from other positions. That's all attainable. Schanuel posted an 83rd percentile launch angle sweet spot percentage, meaning if he can hit the ball a little bit harder, it can consistently do damage.

That's what Steamer is projecting here, so it is in the realm of possibility. If true, it will be a huge development for the Angels, though they'll unfortunately still need much more to return to relevance.