Angels shortstop's latest honor cements his case for being among MLB's best players

While the overall mood surrounding the Angels is melancholic, the organization and fanbase did receive some good news Monday morning. Superstar shortstop Zach Neto was awarded the American League Player of the Week Award after he singlehandedly dismantled the Los Angeles Dodgers and was a one-man army against the Athletics.

For the week overall, Neto posted a .320 batting average in six games played. He swatted four home runs and drove in eight runs overall as he tries to drag this team to the playoffs. Neto has consistently been the best player on the Angels all season, and has been knocking on the door of the most elite group of shortstops in the big leagues.

While his offensive outburst was surely enough to win him the Player of the Week Award on its own, Neto also turned in one of the smoothest and most impressive defensive plays of the season this week. A Shohei Ohtani line drive with two runners on base turned into a triple play with Neto catching the ball, stepping on second base, and firing it to first base on in one fluid motion. The three outs happened before anyone could decipher what they just witnessed.

Angels shortstop's latest honor cements his case for being among MLB's best players

This exceptional week has created a lot of discourse surrounding Neto and his status as one of the best shortstops in MLB. Baseball Reference currently has Neto worth 4.3 WAR, a mark that puts him just outside the top ten despite missing the beginning of the season. FanGraphs, however, has the Angels' superstar worth 2.9 WAR on the season, only good enough to be the 13th ranked shortstop in the league. While both numbers have their supporters, it is a good way of showing just how wide the difference in opinions surrounding Neto can be. This award, however, shows that the Angels have a genuine star on their roster, as this week was the type of performance fans have come to expect from Neto this season.

And while Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson may still be in a league of their own in terms of the most elite shortstops in baseball, Neto is knocking on the door. He joined the 20-20 club over the weekend, becoming the fourth Halo ever to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in multiple seasons. And for his argument as one of the best shortstops in baseball, Neto is the sixth American League shortstop to ever accomplish this multiple times.

Neto is, without a doubt, one of the best shortstops in baseball. Doing what he has done in 2025 is incredibly impressive, even more so when one considers he had to spend the off season rehabbing rather than training. And as the Angels likely attempt to negotiate an extension with Neto this off season, they will be in discussions with one of the American League's absolute bests.

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