Angels' Ron Washington Told Zach Neto To Put Down His iPad – And it Worked

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jun 27, 2024

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is part of the technology generation. He will sit in the dugout, grab an iPad, and study his at-bats.

On Wednesday, Neto was mad at himself for striking out and popping up in his first two at-bats. Holding a tablet, he turned to manager Ron Washington for some advice. The 23-year-old was surprised when his 72-year-old manager told him to put the iPad down because his mistakes were mental.

“I was frustrated early in the game with my at-bats and I looked at my iPad but Wash came over and told me I wasn’t going to find the answer there,” Neto said. “He told me to tone my swing and put the head on the ball and that I have enough power to drive the ball out of the ballpark or hit the ball hard. I took it into that at-bat, and it just so happened to be the double.”

Ron Washington talking about Zach Neto’s day at the plate:

“He was looking at his iPad and I said ‘you’re not gonna find the answer in that iPad’”

😂 pic.twitter.com/l2GQtPLxQ7

— BTH (@BeyondTheHalo) June 26, 2024

The advice worked.

Neto hit a bases-loaded double in his third at-bat of the game, and a single in his fourth and final at-bat, to finish 2-for-4 with three RBIs. The Angels won, 5-2, and completed a series sweep over the division-rival Oakland A's.

Neto has continued improving his entire game throughout the first half of the season and is absorbing all the minute details Washington has shared.

“What he showed me he could do is stop trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark and make contact,” Washington said. “I'd been talking to him about that all day. He was looking at his iPad and I said, ‘You're not gonna find the answer there. All you keep doing is swinging and looking back at me. All you gotta do is put the head on the ball.’ And that’s what he did.”

Neto has slashed .256/.307/.439 with 10 homers, 18 doubles, 10 stolen bases, and 35 RBIs in 77 games this year and has turned it up a notch since May, batting .273/.326/.491 with eight homers, 11 doubles, six stolen bases and 24 RBIs over his last 48 games.