Zachary Adam Neto (pronounced NET-oh)...On Twitter: @ZachNeto25...Off the field hobbies include bowling, salsa dancing and video gaming...Played collegiately at Campbell University, where he amassed a .403 (152/377) career average in three years along with 40 doubles, five triples, 27 home runs and 108 RBI...Big South Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022...During 2021 Collegiate Summer season, played for Brewster Whitecaps in Cape Cod League and North Adams SteepleCats in New England Collegiate Baseball League...In 2020, played for Delray Beach Lightning in South Florida Collegiate Baseball League and led league in home runs (six) and batting average (.439)...Prepped at Miami Coral Park Senior HS, where he was a three-time all-district team honoree after posting a career .407 average with 19 doubles, six triples, two home runs and 37 RBI...Originally signed by Angels scout Nick Gorneault.
2025
Led Angels with 5.1 bWAR in his third MLB season, his second straight season of at least 5.0 bWAR; is third shortstop in Angels history to register at least five wins above replacement in consecutive seasons (Andrelton Simmons, 2016-18 and Jim Fregosi, 1964-67, 1969-70)... Nominated for the 2025 All-MLB Team (SS) for the second time in his career (also, 2024)... Set career highs in runs scored, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (.793) and wRC+ (116) in 2025...Led Halos with 26 stolen bases, which ranked 12th in the American League... Opened season on injured list while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery...Began year on rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake...Ended campaign on injured list with a left hand strain... Stole 25th stolen base of the season on Sept. 8, became sixth player in LAA history with 25+ HR and 25+ SB in a season; joining Bobby Bonds (1977), Don Baylor (1977), Darin Erstad (2000), Mike Trout (2012, 2013 and 2016) and Shohei Ohtani (2021)... Established new single-season franchise record for home runs (26) as a shortstop (hit 23 as a SS in 2024)...Netofs 58 career home runs as a shortstop rank second in Angels history, only behind Jim Fregosi (111)... Became the only shortstop (fourth player) in Angels history with multiple seasons (also, 2024) with more than 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases...Sixth player in A.L. history to have multiple 20 HR/20 SB seasons while primarily playing shortstop, joining: Alan Trammell, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Francisco Lindor and Bobby Witt Jr... Named by the MLBPAA as the Angels winner of the 2025 Heart and Hustle Award, his second time receiving the honors (also, 2023)...Is the fourth Angels player to win the award multiple times, joining Torii Hunter, Mike Trout and David Fletcher... Ranked third in A.L. with 14 HBP...Tied for fourth among A.L. players with 46 HBP since debuting in 2023... Named A.L. Player of the Week for Aug. 11-17; batted .320 (8-for-25) with four homers, eight RBI, a double, three walks, five runs scored and a 1.254 OPS during the week...First Player of the Week award of Neto's career... Initiated eighth triple play in Angels history on Aug. 12 against Dodgers...Finished second among MLB shortstops with 13 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in 2025 (FanGraphs). Hit nine leadoff home runs in 2025...Ranked second in A.L. in leadoff home runs and hit the most leadoff home runs in a season in franchise history...His four leadoff HR in May tied MLB record for the month, (Jose Altuve, May 2022; Shohei Ohtani, May 2025)...Became second player in Angels history with 4+ leadoff HR in a calendar month, along with Taylor Ward (4 HR - Sept. 2024)...Recorded first career walk-off hit on July 25 (his bobblehead night); first Angels shortstop with a walk-off hit since Andrelton Simmons vs. HOU on May 6, 2017...Became first Halos player with a walk-off on their bobblehead night since Albert Pujols on April 7, 2016 vs. Texas...Batted .300 (48/160) with 21 XBH, 24 RBI, and a .898 OPS in 40 games against A.L. West opponents in 2025...Homered in back-to-back games three times in 2025...Finished the first half as the only A.L. player with 18 doubles, 15 HR and 17 stolen bases...Just two players all-time reached those totals before the All-Star Break in fewer plate appearances than Neto's 328 PA: Barry Bonds (1990 Pirates - 305 PA) and Reggie Sanders (1995 Reds - 291 PA)...From May 2-7, reached base safely in the Angels leadoff plate appearance in five straight games, becoming the first Angels player to do so since Cameron Maybin (June 17-22, 2017)...Compiled a career-high 13-game hit streak from April 24 . May 8 During the streak, batted .358 (19/53) with four doubles, three HR and seven stolen bases...Recorded a home run and three stolen bases April 26; second player in franchise history to achieve the feat (also; Chone Figgins on July 25, 2009 vs. MIN)...Was the Angels nominee for the 2025 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award for the third consecutive season...Visited College Park Elementary on May 9 as part of the Angels Adopt-A-School program...Took photos, signed autographs and spoke to students.
2024
Winner of 2024 Angels Team MVP Award, as voted by Angels teammates...Fifth Angels player to be named Team MVP at age-23 or younger, along with Jim Fregosi, Jerry Remy, Jim Abbott and Mike Trout..Ranked third among A.L. shortstops with 5.1 bWAR in 2024...Batted .249 (135/542) with 70 runs scored, 34 doubles, 23 HR, 77 RBI, and 30 stolen bases...Hit 23 home runs in 2024; surpassed Jim Fregosi (20; 1970) for most HR as a Halos shortstop in a single season...Led Angels in RBI (77), OPS (.761), doubles (34), extra-base hits (58) and stolen bases (30)...Led Halos in batting average vs. left-handed pitchers batting .374 (40/107) with seven doubles, one triple, five home runs and 17 RBI...Recorded second career multi-HR game Sept. 22 at HOU (also; June 11, 2023 vs. SEA)...Collected six RBI (tied career high from Aug. 7 at NYY - Game 2); was second game by an Angel this season with two HR and six RBI (also; Kevin Pillar, May 7 at PIT)...Second game in franchise history by an Angels shortstop with at least two HR and six RBI (also; Freddie Patek, June 20, 1980 at BOS; 3 HR and 7 RBI)...Stole 30 bases in 2024, becoming the third Angel ever (sixth occurrence; first since Mike Trout in 2016) and first infielder in Angels history to log a 20 HR/30 SB season...Neto also joined Trout as only Angels to have a 20 HR/20 SB season by age 23...Homered in consecutive games three times in 2024; last, Aug. 19-20...Recorded first career grand-slam in Game 2 on Aug. 7 vs. NYY and drove in career-high six RBI, becoming the third Angels shortstop with 6+ RBI in a single game (Freddie Patek; 1980 and Jim Fregosi; 1964)...Recorded 14 stolen bases and 12 home runs in first half of 2024; first Angels infielder to reach 10 SB and 10 HR in the first half since Troy Glaus in 2000 (25 HR/10 SB)...In June, led all shortstops with seven Defensive Runs Saved (Sports Info Solutions)...Named the Angels 2024 nominee for the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award...Selected by Major League Baseball as a finalist for All-MLB Team at shortstop.
2023
Completed first Major League season with Angels in 2023...Missed 54 games across two IL stints... Contract selected by Angels April 15; Made MLB debut that day against Boston...First player from 2022 MLB Draft to make Major League debut... Received the Angels’ 2023 Heart and Hustle Award presented by the MLBPAA... Was first player in MLB history to be hit by seven pitches within first 15 career games...Was hit by a pitch in an franchise record four straight games (April 18-21)... Was hit by pitches 16 times in 2023...His 11 HBP tied with Tim Locastro for the most through a player’s first 45 career games since at least 1901... Finished season with 17 multi-hit games...Had multiple extra base hits in back-to-back games on June 11-12; first Angels shortstop to do so since Gary Disarcina in 1995... Collected first MLB hit on April 17 against Brayan Bello (BOS)...First career HR came on May 9 against Framber Valdez (HOU)... Scored walk-off run May 5 vs. Texas on a wild pitch in the 10th inning... Finished a triple away from first career cycle May 24 vs. Red Sox, and recorded first career game with three hits... Had career-long seven-game hit streak from July 15-27...Batted .250 (8/32) with seven runs, one double, two home runs and five RBI during streak... Logged first career multi-homer game June 11 vs. Mariners... Recipient of Angels’ 2023 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award.
2022
Began season at Campbell University (Buies Creek, NC), where he hit .407 (81/199) with 23 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 50 RBI for the Fighting Camels...Paced Big South Conference in average, hits, doubles, runs scored (65) and OPS (1.283)…Also went 19-for-20 in stolen base attempts...Earned Big South Player of the Year honors for a second consecutive season...Selected by Angels in first round (13th overall) in First-Year Player Draft and was assigned to High-A Tri-City...Made professional debut with Dust Devils, July 30 vs. Spokane...Played in seven games for Tri-City and was promoted to Double-A Rocket City, Aug. 9...Batted .370 (17/46) across first 11 games for Trash Pandas and finished regular season with hits in 24 of 30 games, totaling a .320 (39/122) average with nine doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI...Played in all three Trash Pandas postseason games, including a homer in Game 2 of Southern League Division Series vs. Tennessee.
