Season In Review: Zach Neto
Simply put, Zach Neto had a fabulous year and entrenched himself as a core piece of the Angels future.
He accumulated 3.5 fWAR, tied for 13th best among MLB shortstops.
Offense
Neto had a well above average offensive year, finishing with a .761 OPS and 114 wRC+.
His BB% and K% were virtually identical from the previous season, but he really made gains in the power department.
He went from 9 HRs in 329 PAs last season to 23 HRs in 602 PAs this season, largely thanks to an increased pulled flyball percentage.
Another added element to Neto’s game were stolen bases, as he swiped 30 bags after stealing just 5 the previous season.
Defense
Neto’s defense was a bit of mixed bag, depending on what metric you looked at.
By Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), Neto was a top-3 shortstop defensively in all of MLB with 11 DRS.
However, Outs Above Average (OAA) had him at -5 OAA.
The stark contrast in his defensive ratings can be a bit confounding.
The simplest explanation is that Neto rates out well on routine plays— which DRS rewards— but struggles with the difficult plays, which OAA puts more emphasis on.
If there is anything Zach Neto should hang his hat on it is the 155 games played, as he proved he could withstand the course of a 162-game season after dealing with some injuries amidst his first full pro-season in 2023.
Just like with Logan O’Hoppe, the Angels should make a serious effort at extending Neto this offseason.