Angels Infielder Predicted to Have Breakout Second Half of Season

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicts Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel to have a breakout second half of the season after his impressivee first half.

The Halos called up Schanuel in 2023 — the same year they drafted him in the first round — and he played his first full season in 2024. Last season he batted exactly league average with a 100 OPS+ and had the highest on-base percentage among qualified Angels.

This season he's been even better, now boasting a 113 OPS+ with a slugging percentage of nearly .400, and could vastly improve heading into the second half. The Angels have seen the 23-year-old massively improve since his arrival in the bigs, and a potential playoff bid could be just what they need to see him grow even further.

The Angels have batted him towards the top of the order this season, where he has found ways on base by any means necesary. He has an extremely low whiff and strikeout rate at 14.7 percent and 11.8 percent respectively, which both rank above the 90th percentile in MLB. His elite bat to ball skills and high walk rate make him a strong tool for an Angels squad with loads of power to drive him home.

Schanuel has already amassed more WAR than in both of his previous seasons combined, and the Angels will hope he continues to produce as they continue to push for the playoffs. The New York Mets took a three-game sweep over the Halos on Wednesday, though their hopes aren't dead.

The Angels begin a four-game series against the Wild Card rival Seattle Mariners on Thursday at 6:38 p.m., and follow that series up with a three-game set against the Texas Rangers, who are also pushing for a postseason spot.