MINNEAPOLIS -- Despite undergoing right shoulder surgery in November, Angels shortstop Zach Neto has picked up right where he left off on his breakout season last year.
Neto has provided a spark since returning to the lineup on April 18, as he¡¯s hit .294/.314/.647 with three homers, three doubles, three stolen bases and five RBIs through his first nine games, including going 1-for-4 with a double in Sunday¡¯s 5-0 loss to the Twins.
¡°I¡¯m feeling good,¡± Neto said. ¡°Like I said a couple days ago, I¡¯m just trying to stay within myself. I¡¯m not trying to do too much. Just let everything happen, just trying to get even more comfortable every day I step in there, and just try to do anything I can to get on base.¡±
Angels manager Ron Washington has a particularly close relationship with Neto and has liked what he¡¯s seen from him offensively and defensively since his return. And he¡¯s hopeful that Neto¡¯s hot start will rub off on his teammates.
¡°It's been great, and you can see he brings something to our club,¡± Washington said. ¡°Now, the rest of the guys, we¡¯ve got to get [them] going in the same direction that he's going in. And he's up there aggressive. He's feeling good about himself, and it's just nice to have him back. Now as a group, we just got to come together and start playing baseball the way we know we can. If we can start scoring some runs, it'll take care of a lot.¡±
Neto said he learns something new from Washington just about every day and spends as much time as possible with him in the dugout. The two are constantly together and talking trash to each other to keep each other humble. Neto said Washington ribs him when he overswings, because it usually ends in Neto looking at Washington in the third-base dugout.
¡°It¡¯s just the confidence that he gives me every day,¡± Neto said. ¡°Having a guy like that as a mentor, somebody to look up to, a friend, it's cool to have. I just want to step in the box and be comfortable. And not look at Wash so much. When things are going bad, I'm kind of pulling off and looking at him quite a bit on the third-base side.¡±
Neto was the club¡¯s best player in 2024, hitting .249/.318/.443 with 23 homers, 30 stolen bases and 77 RBIs in 155 games. He led the club with 5.1 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference. He¡¯s looking to build on that, but he said he¡¯s not putting any extra pressure on himself.
¡°I feel last year I had a pretty good year, and this year, there's expectations for what I'm going to do,¡± Neto said. ¡°But I¡¯m staying laid back. Knowing that all the numbers will show for itself. Just trying to play every game and be as healthy as possible, that's my biggest thing. I'm not really big on how I do this year, individually, stats-wise. It's just more, ¡®How many games can I play and stay healthy?¡¯¡±
Neto was on track to play 158 of the club¡¯s 162 games last year before he injured his shoulder on a headfirst dive on a stolen-base attempt in Chicago in the club¡¯s fourth-to-last game. He tried to rehab it in September and October but ultimately needed to undergo an operation. He said it¡¯s still something he has to manage, but that when he¡¯s playing, he doesn¡¯t think about it and is able to play feeling free.
¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie, when I wake up, it still doesn't feel right,¡± Neto said. "But once I get some food in me, get my proper stretches and get activated, it feels normal. It¡¯s just that mental block you have once you wake up, and you feel it a little. But when I get to the field, it's like a switch that I turn on, especially when the game starts. I just let myself play and don't even think about anything, even sliding headfirst. So I try not to think about it.¡±