The Angels definitely have the best first baseman in the American League West

The Angels can build something special around their 1B
Houston Astros v Los Angeles Angels
Houston Astros v Los Angeles Angels | Gene Wang/GettyImages

The Angels might not have as good of a record as the Houston Astros or Seattle Mariners or a recent World Series championship like the Texas Rangers, but they possess a few bright spots that outshine those franchises. When it comes to the infield, the Angels might have the most well-rounded unit of the five now and moving forward between Zach Neto, Christian Moore, Nolan Schanuel and Yoán Moncada's 30 games played. Schanuel especially has been a revelation and is taking his game to unforeseen heights as of late.

While a player like the Athletics' Nick Kurtz or Tyler Soderstrom might eventually out-perform Nolan Schanuel, the belt for the best first baseman in the division definitely resides in Anaheim right now.

The Angels definitely have the best first baseman in the American League West

The Halos' run production unit is incredible at hitting home runs. So much so, that their offense can get pretty one-dimensional. Having a high OBP, low K%, left-handed hitter like Schanuel is essential for diversification -- you cannot have the 1-through-9 hitters in your lineup all be righties who aim for the fences. The 23-year-old is anything but a prototypical first baseman, but he makes it work. Schanuel is the straw that stirs the Angels' drink.

In terms of value, Schanuel provides a smidge more than his fellow 23-year-old AL West first baseman in Tyler Soderstrom. Overall bWAR and fWAR give Schanuel the edge, and fWAR as a first baseman has them about even. However, in June, Schanuel has been better than his counterpart. This month, Schanuel is slashing .273/.354/.443 with 3 HRs and 16 RBIs whereas Soderstrom is slashing .236/.345/.347 with 2 HRs and 10 RBIs.

Soderstrom hits for more power than Schanuel by the numbers, but he also plays in a minor league ballpark. The ballpark in Sacramento is a part of the Pacific Coast League, a place where pitchers' stuff does not work as well and the balls fly with incredibly little air resistance. Basically, take his results with a grain of salt even if his splits show that he's been better away from SacTown this year. Also, Soderstrom has only played 40 games at first base this season to Schanuel's 77.

Houston's signing of Christian Walker and Texas' signing of Jake Burger/Joc Pederson have been underwhelming to say the least. Walker has been maybe the most disappointing free agent signing given the expectations and the ideal fit between the two sides. Burger has been one of the worst first basemen in baseball, and Pederson barely plays or stays on the field any more. Seattle just cut ties with Rowdy Tellez, but Donovan Solano has been solid. None can hold a candle to Schanuel right now.

The Angels have a building block at a difficult position to lock down. He's been the fourth most valuable 1B in the league and should continue to get better. It's been fun to watch Schanuel this seaon, and he deserves more national recognition.

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