The Los Angeles Angels are once again one of the most average teams in the league. Through 53 games, the Angels are 25-29, good for fourth in the American League West. They are four and a half games behind the Mariners for first, and three games behind the Royals and Astros for the final Wild Card spot. Barring some major changes to the team at the trade deadline, it looks to be another lost season in Anaheim.
However, despite the lackluster start, there are a few bright spots on the team, one of which has been the play of Zach Neto. The Angels drafted Neto in the first round of the 2022 draft, and the shortstop was once the second-best prospect in the Angels system according to MLB Pipeline. After a couple of years of mixed results, Neto is finally living up to his potential.
What has been the reason for his breakout?
Zach Neto's breakout gives Angels something to build on
Neto came into the season as the starting shortstop and has far exceeded expectations. Through 36 games, he has a slash line of .283/.324/.551 with nine home runs, 20 RBIs, an OPS+ of 143, and a wRC+ of 143. He's also been a threat on the base path, stealing eight bases on nine attempts.
A large reason for his improved numbers has been his ability to hit off-speed pitching. Despite only seeing off-speed pitches less than 15% of the time, these pitches always gave him problems. Between 2023 and 2024, he had a batting average of .209 and a .253 slugging percentage against off-speed pitches. However, in 2025, he's batting .375 with a .750 slugging against such offerings. His wOBA has also jumped from .223 to .479.
Neto has also made a lot better contact this season. He has a line drive percentage of 30.9%, which is the highest mark of his career. It's also a massive jump from last year, when he had a line drive percentage of 18.9%. He also has a solid contact percentage of 14.4%, a six percent increase, and a barrel percentage of 17.5%, a 9.1% increase from last season.
Of course, Neto isn't emerging from nowhere in 2025. He accrued 5.1 WAR in 155 games last season while hitting 23 home runs and stealing 30 bases. His underlying improvements this year paint the picture of a player with a sky-high ceiling.
This is the exact type of hitter the Angels are in desperate need of. While the Angels' offense has been middle of the pack this season, that is due in large part to their power numbers. They're currently third in the majors in home runs and ninth in slugging percentage. However, they've struggled with contact and getting on base. They have the fifth-worst batting average and the third-worst on-base percentage among all MLB teams.
While Neto's numbers are included in the Angels' poor numbers, it's good that they have a hitter like him in their lineup. With him at the top of the order, the team has a nice table setter for guys like Taylor Ward and Jorge Soler (and Mike Trout, if and when he's healthy). He can get on base and turn solo home runs into multi-run blasts, making the offense a little more explosive than it otherwise appears on paper.
With Neto having his breakout season at just 24 years old, the future is bright for the shortstop. He can be a core piece that the Angels build around for their next competitive window.