'Game respects game': Neto on facing fellow shortstop Witt

KANSAS CITY – Zach Neto’s team plays in the American League West. Bobby Witt Jr.’s team plays in the American League Central. The elite shortstops for the Angels and Royals, respectively, don’t get to compete against each other that often. But when they do, it’s a competition that brings about total respect.

With Neto and the Angels making their only 2026 trip to Kansas City for a three-game series this weekend, the opportunity for Neto to go against Witt is something that the Angels’ shortstop doesn’t take for granted.

“It’s fun,” Neto said prior to the Angels’ 12-1 loss to the Royals on Saturday. “[Witt is] one of the best in the game and he plays with a lot of energy. He makes the pitcher throw strikes. He’s fast and he hits for pop. It’s pretty special to compete against him because he is at the top of the class.”

Neto and Witt didn’t know each other as they were making their way to the Major Leagues. But they have had conversations around second base when one guy is playing defense at shortstop and the other guy is a baserunner at second.

“Game respects game,” Neto said. “Whenever we get the chance, we talk as much as we can. We respect each other’s game and that’s what it is all about.”

Neto sees Witt as a “difference-maker” who can impact the game in a variety of ways whether on offense or defense. And that’s what Neto strives to do for the Angels.

“The shortstops have that repertoire,” Neto said. “We want to be the pitcher’s best friend and have their back no matter what. A lot of shortstops are hitting at the top of the lineup these days and can really spark their team.”

While Neto is the leadoff hitter for the Angels, Witt bats second for the Royals. When the offense is rolling for each team, Neto and Witt Jr. are generally involved in a big way.

“Just watching [Neto and Witt] on the field together is definitely good for the game,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “It excites the fans, that’s for sure.”

Witt’s team has had the better of it through the opening two games of the series. The Royals took the series opener 6-3 on Friday before making Walbert Urena’s first Major League road start a rough one in the middle game of the series. The Angels will try to avoid being swept when they send Reid Detmers to the mound on Sunday night.

Urena worked just 3 2/3 innings, and the Royals poured it on late to the extent that second baseman Adam Frazier had to finish the game on the mound.

“I’ve been in a lot of those before,” Suzuki said. “It gets rolling for the other team and it seems like you can’t do anything right. It’s one game and we move on to the next.”

With Saturday’s loss, the Angels fell to 12-16. The Royals, meanwhile, are off to an even slower start at 10-17. It’s a small sample size, and Neto is confident that the Angels have the makings of a strong team and will show it as the season goes along.

“We’re going through something here, but we’re just going to keep our heads high and hopefully get over this hump,” Neto said after Saturday’s game. “We’re all very optimistic and it just takes one game to get hot again.”