TEMPE, Ariz. -- Nobody on the Angels has known Zach Neto longer than Nolan Schanuel.
Neto and Schanuel grew up a year apart in South Florida with Neto hailing from Miami and Schanuel growing up 45 miles north in Boca Raton. Schanuel, 24, said he was around 12 years old when he first played against Neto, 25, and they also competed in a summer league in high school before Neto starred at Campbell University.
So for Schanuel, it’s been fun to watch Neto’s meteoric rise as one of the game’s best shortstops and it doesn’t come as a surprise because he’s known about that talent for more than a decade.
“I think it's awesome growing up playing against him and just seeing what kind of player he was like,” Schanuel said. “Just watching him since my first time getting called up in 2023 and seeing how he's playing now and how much more comfortable he is, it kind of rubs off on other guys. He's just a great player, so being able to be teammates with him and watch him thrive is awesome.”
Neto, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 Draft, has led the club in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in each of the last two seasons, posting 5.1 bWAR in both ’24 and ’25. He possesses a rare blend of power and speed and slashed .257/.319/.474 with 26 homers, 26 stolen bases and 62 RBIs in 128 games last year.
He’s a candidate to post his first 30/30 season, as he missed the first 18 games of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery in November 2024. His goal this year is to stay healthy and help change the culture of a franchise that hasn’t posted a winning record since 2015.
“I keep saying it around camp all the time, like we're not a young group anymore,” Neto said. “We all know what it takes now to get to that next level and play in October. It's just a matter of trusting each other. Staying healthy is the most important thing and just going out there and competing, knowing that everybody thinks we're going to lose every single game. Just proving people wrong.”
Neto said he understands the responsibilities that come with becoming a face of the franchise along with superstar Mike Trout. And despite playing all parts of three seasons in the Majors, he’s already on his fourth manager after Phil Nevin ’23, Ron Washington in ’23-24, Ray Montgomery in an interim role last year and Kurt Suzuki this year.
Neto admitted that kind of turnover isn’t ideal but said he believes Suzuki is the right person for the job and that he still utilizes Washington’s infield drills every day as part of his routine.
“I love it,” Neto said. “It’s not the way you want to start your career, having three different [full-time] managers. But Kurt is the man. He’s a special guy to be around. He’s relaxed, but he knows when to be serious.”
Suzuki joined the front office as a special assistant in ’23 and has enjoyed watching Neto grow as a player and a leader. Neto calmed any worries that his leg kick wouldn’t work in the Majors, although Neto did say he’d like to cut down on his strikeouts this year.
Neto also said he prefers to bat leadoff, and Suzuki said he’s likely to be in that spot, but that it isn’t set in stone just yet.
“The sky's the limit for him,” Suzuki said. “I'm sure he'd be the first one to tell you he wants to play a full season. We're the best club we can be with him on the field every single day. But just watching him go about his business, watching him work his routine, it's pretty amazing to see.”
Neto has matured over his three years in the Majors after a short stint in the Minors of just 45 games and knows that others look up to him and watch how he carries himself. But he said he stays true to his roots and is incredibly close with his family in Miami, which helps keep him humble.
Neto has that Miami swagger, but puts in the work with the right attitude, which his teammates can’t help but notice.
“I’m being the same person every single day,” Neto said. “I know this comes with a lot of responsibility. But I’m the same person every single day, knowing that most of these guys are looking at my daily routine and how I go about my business when things are going good or bad. That's how I want them to play the game.”