Los Angeles Angels Bring Up 2022 Draft Pick Zach Neto to Play Shortstop

The Los Angeles Angels have made a significant move, calling up No. 2 prospect Zach Neto to become their everyday shortstop. Neto becomes the first player selected from the 2022 draft to make his major league debut. He's never played above AA but was hitting .444 at the start of this year. In a corresponding move, veteran David Fletcher was sent to AAA.

The Los Angeles Angels have made a significant move on Saturday, electing to call up prospect Zach Neto.

Neto, the teams first round draft pick in 2022 out of Campbell University, becomes the first member of the 2022 class to debut in the big leagues. He's expected to become the teams everyday shortstop. Veteran David Fletcher has been sent to AAA in a corresponding move.

NETO NATION RISE 🫡

The Angels have selected the contract of INF Zach Neto. pic.twitter.com/NrXUi0qcwY

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 15, 2023

Neto is the team's number two official prospect, according to the MLB.com rankings. He is the 82nd ranked prospect in all of baseball, per the same rankings.

This move comes with some significant risk as Neto has never played above AA. He was off to a blistering .444 start at AA this year and hit .320 at that level last year. He has less than 200 career AA plate appearances and has only played 44 career games in the minors.

From his MLB.com profile:

"Neto’s setup and mechanics at the plate, including a big leg kick and an uphill swing from the right side, might not be what coaches would teach young hitters, but he’s made it work as he relies on tremendous hand-eye coordination to make consistent hard contact. He doesn’t strike out a ton, while his bat speed and ability to loft the baseball point to solid power, especially to his pull side.

Just an average runner, Neto’s aggressiveness makes him an asset on the basepaths. His quick feet and hands, when combined with solid arm -- he was in the low 90s as a reliever at Campbell -- and instincts, give him a good chance to stick at shortstop, though he’s seen time all around the infield and could find a home as a second baseman who hits his way to the big leagues in a hurry."

Fletcher being sent to AAA is a surprise as he signed a five-year extension prior to the 2021 season.

He is a lifetime .277 career but has seen his average drop each of the last three years. After hitting .319 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he's hit .262 in 2021 and .255 in 2022. He's out to a .125 start this year. He also only played 61 games a season ago.

The Angels will take on the Red Sox for Game 2 of a four-game series at Fenway Park on Saturday. The Angels lost game one of the series, 5-3, thanks to shoddy defense in the infield. Perhaps Neto can help in that regard. 

He's in the lineup for Saturday's game, batting eighth. Mike Trout will hit second for Los Angeles while Shohei Ohtani will hit third and play DH. 

The Red Sox are sending right-hander Nick Pivetta to the mound. He's 0-1 with a 0.90 ERA in the early going. 

First pitch is 4:10 p.m. ET. 

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