Nolan Schanuel

School: Florida Atlantic Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Hit: 60. Power: 55. Run: 40. Field: 50. Arm: 50.

Schanuel developed a reputation as a standout pure hitter in high school in Florida, but went undrafted and made it to campus at Florida Atlantic. He has only solidified his hitting chops after three tremendous seasons, where he has posted an OPS north of 1.000 each year. He was one of the best overall hitters in college baseball in 2023, with a .444/.612/.864 slash line and a 219 wRC+ mark that led Division I. Schanuel is a tall, 6-foot-3, 195-pound first baseman who hits with a unique setup in the lefthanded batter’s box. He has an extremely high handset, reminiscent of Craig Counsell, but has done a nice job getting his hands into the hitting zone with good timing, with long levers and an uphill path. While the swing itself is odd, Schanuel has shown some of the best pure contact skills in the class, with a career 7% strikeout rate and a 2023 overall contact rate of 89%. He rarely misses in-zone (94%), rarely misses a fastball (97%) and also makes life difficult on pitchers by mostly staying within the strike zone on his swing decisions. Schanuel has solid power, but he’s a pure hitter first, who will hit for average, get on base, minimize his strikeouts and let his home runs come naturally. Schanuel is limited to a corner profile, but he’s a deft defender at first base and a below-average runner. He’s the top first base prospect in the class and should go in the back of the first round or shortly thereafter.