Neto honored to be Angels' 2026 Clemente Award nominee

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger's Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- Being the son of a U.S. Navy veteran, Angels shortstop Zach Neto was taught at an early age about the importance of helping others and having a strong moral compass.

So Neto has always made it his mission to give back to the community and uses his platform as a Major Leaguer to help others. For his efforts, Neto was named the club’s nominee for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award and was honored in a pregame ceremony before Tuesday’s game against the Mariners.

Every club has a nominee, with one overall winner as the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. Fans can vote on the award and read the full bios for nominees from all 30 clubs, including Neto.

“It means the world,” Neto said. “Me and my family talk about it all the time that this game's bigger than the stuff on the field. And to me personally, I think this award, in general, is the most important award out of every single award there is in the Major Leagues. To be able to be a nominee for the Angels and just be able to support people outside of the baseball field, I think it’s a true testament to who I am and what I do for the community, as well as the person that my family raised.”

Because of his father’s military service, Neto has a special connection with military personnel and their families. He’s visited Los Angeles Fleet Week each of the last three years, spending time on naval ships and meeting with active military members. He also visited the Los Alamitos Joint Training Base in 2024 and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston this year. He also has supported the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and met with the families of fallen service members at Angel Stadium on Memorial Day.

Due to his efforts, he’s been the club’s nominee for the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award for four straight years. The award recognizes MLB players for the way they demonstrate support for active-duty service members, veterans and youth enrichment.

“We talk all the time about his naval stories, and he has a lot, so it’s always pretty cool to hear,” Neto said of his dad, Joaquin. “Every year, going to Fleet Week and being able to see those men and women supporting our country and fighting while we get to come out here and do our job, which is fun. Not many people get to say thank you, and I think it's a very good way to say it.”

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award while playing with the Braves in 2018 and knows how special it is to receive that honor. He said he’s proud of Neto for his willingness to give back to others both in the Orange County community and back in his hometown of Miami.

“With that award, it’s about what you’re doing off the field,” Suzuki said. “He's very involved with the community and helping different organizations. So it's a huge honor for him.”

Locally, Neto is an active participant in the Angels Baseball Foundation’s Adopt-A-School program, as well as several of the foundation’s baseball clinics. And back home in Miami, he’s raised funds for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital with an annual bowling tournament and meets with patients at the hospital during the offseason.

Neto said he remembers what it was like as a kid looking up to Major Leaguers and so he often thinks of that in terms of giving back to others.

“My dream as a kid was to meet my favorite baseball player and get autographs and go to these games, and so now as a big leaguer, I’m just trying to fulfill that dream for those kids,” Neto said. “It means a lot to me. No matter the outcome on the field, whether it's good or bad, just trying to be an inspiration, be a role model to those kids.”