BALTIMORE -- It’s been a whirlwind recently for Angels shortstop Zach Neto, who saw his name surface in trade rumors ahead of Monday’s Trade Deadline while also being in a slump at the plate.
With Neto scuffling, the Angels moved him out of the leadoff spot for just the fourth time this season, but he made the most of it by going 2-for-5 at the plate with a three-run homer in a 4-1 win against the Orioles in the series finale on Thursday at Camden Yards. Neto hit cleanup against the Orioles, marking the first time out of the No. 1 spot since he hit third against the Dodgers on May 15. Left fielder Wade Meckler moved up to hit leadoff for the second time in his career and also went 2-for-5.
“Looking at the result, it went great,” said manager Kurt Suzuki. “Meckler had good at-bats at the top, and then Neto coming up with those situations with guys on base. Just more opportunities for him to drive guys in. So I thought it flowed pretty well.”
Neto acknowledged it’s been tough recently dealing with the thought of possibly being dealt. But like left-hander Reid Detmers, he ultimately wasn’t traded while others such as right-hander José Soriano, right fielder Jo Adell, catcher Logan O'Hoppe and relievers Chase Silseth, Ryan Zeferjahn, Kirby Yates and Brent Suter were traded for a haul of young talent that included top shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala (the club’s new No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline).
“Like I said before, it's probably one of the most stressful weeks during the year,” Neto said before the game. “So I’m glad it's over.”
Neto, 25, remains under team control for three more seasons after ’26, which was part of the calculation in them deciding not to trade him. But Neto wouldn’t say if the front office led by interim general manager John Mozeliak gave him any assurances that they plan to build around him going forward and not trade him this offseason.
It’s been an up and down year for Neto, who led the Angels in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in each of the last two seasons. After his two-hit performance on Thursday, he’s slashing .230/.317/.426 with 20 homers, 21 doubles, 14 stolen bases and 50 RBIs in 112 games.
He hadn’t homered since July 5, but he broke that drought with a three-run blast in the third off right-hander Brandon Young. Neto crushed a 2-1 sinker over the middle of the plate for his 20th homer of the year. It helped him make some club history in the process, as he became the first Angels shortstop to hit at least 20 homers and 20 doubles in three straight seasons.
Neto said reaching 20 homers wasn’t weighing on him because there’s still so much time left in the season, but it was still a relief to pass that threshold.
“In the past, especially my first time hitting 20 home runs, I was definitely pressured to try to get there,” Neto said. “I feel like over the years, it's just kind of like, ‘All right, how do I maintain it?’ There's always that thought, you always look up and you see how many home runs you have, where your average is and stuff, but [hitting 20 homers] that was the least of my worries."
Neto would only say he’s feeling “good” at the plate before the game, but Suzuki acknowledged Neto’s recent struggles, which is why he was moved down in the order. Coming into the game, he was in a 5-for-40 slump, including hitting just .202 with a double, a triple and two RBIs over his last 21 games dating back to July 9.
“I think he just wants to be successful,” Suzuki said. “I think his personality, he wants to be the best player that he can be. He’s going through a process and learning all these types of things. It's just him trying to be a perfectionist, and sometimes, it can be tough at this thing at this level.”
Suzuki wouldn’t rule out moving Neto back into the leadoff spot, much like he did in May when Neto hit sixth on May 13 and 15 and batted third on May 16. He said it could be based on matchups, especially if there’s a lefty starting.
“We'll take it day by day,” Suzuki said. “We'll just kind of see how it plays out. Maybe against a left-hander, he'll go back to the top. I don't know yet. I just feel like now is the time to try to get creative and try different things.”