Angels News: Zach Neto Lands High on Updated Rookie Power Rankings
Before the Los Angeles Angels went on a spree of calling up multiple prospects and rounding out their full roster with young talent, Zach Neto was one of the first to be asked to take on such a big role. He only had about 40 games under his belt in the minor leagues but LA needed a new shortstop and trusted in his development thus far.
That investment has definitely paid off so far as Neto gets better with each outing and he is slashing .238/.315/.371 and has three homers through 43 games. Him and Mickey Moniak have been able to bring a whole new vibe to the Angels' clubhouse.
The 2023 season is an important one with so many things on the line, most notably Shohei Ohtani's future, and with LA not being an immediate contender, now is not the time to get comfortable. It's great to see the Halos' front office take risks and trust Neto to take on a huge role in the batting lineup and on defense.
He's been looking real smooth at shortstop lately.
And the MLB as a whole has been taking notice of how electric he's been as a rookie. Neto landed at the number 14 spot in Bleacher Report's updated rookie power rankings.
"Less than a year after he was selected No. 13 overall in the 2022 draft, Neto was in the big leagues. The 22-year-old has better offensive numbers than Anthony Volpe and Ezequiel Tovar despite having less minor league seasoning, and he has also been a standout defender (
5 DRS, 1.0 UZR/150
)."
(Via Bleacher Report)
Hopefully Neto continues his dominance at such a young age and continues to help will LA towards a playoff berth.