Zach Neto’s improvements in 2024 for Angels deserve more recognition

Anybody who was watching the Angels-White Sox series finale held their breath when they saw Zach Neto rolling around in the dirt. The Angels' star shortstop slid into second base hard, and clearly tweaked his shoulder. While his left arm hit the bag, his right shoulder ended up getting irritated. Neto exited the Angels' fourth to last game of this miserable 2024 campaign, leaving fans wondering if he will be able to have a normal offseason.

"I'm not worried about it," Neto elucidated. "Of course it's something I want to keep my eye on, but nothing that's gonna keep me out for too long."

The injury scare, albeit just a blip, caused Angels fans deep misery. The idea of losing a core player during a sweep against the worst team ever is unbearable. The Angels have little hope moving forward, and Neto embodies one of the few glimmers of light amidst a dark season.

When a team is enduring the worst season in the history of the franchise, as the Angels are, it disparages the accolades of the positive performers. Zach Neto has plenty of accolades this season that hold weight, but baseball fans are mostly failing to see them due to the chaos of his organization.

First and foremost, the Angels are unwatchable without Mike Trout and Ben Joyce. When Angels fans make the case that people should still watch the team without Trout and Joyce, they would point to their core group of position players in Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and Logan O'Hoppe. The issue with Schanuel is he is a slap hitter whose OBP is about even with his SLG, and O'Hoppe is a terrific defensive catcher that's struggling at the plate this year. Those types of players are not exactly must watch television. Neto is, but fans will not tune in solely for a 23-year-old promising shortstop alone.

Zach Neto's stellar 2024 campaign deserves more national attention

Secondly, when Neto sets Angels franchise records those get disparaged as well. Recency bias is killing the Angels' prestige, but they were truly a fantastic franchise for most of their run. Joining a recordbook alongside Mo Vaughn, Kendrys Morales, and Mike Trout is a big deal, but it's lost a lot of its weight given the downturn of the franchise the past decade.

The Angels have high praise for Neto, including his grizzled manager. “When he stays on the field, he’s at his best,” Ron Washington said. “He’s not one of the elite players in the game yet — he’s got the ability to be that maybe one day, but not right now. When you look at the back of your baseball card, this season is the only line you’ve got.” Not being in the Rookie of the Year race this year hurts his national acclaim, as his 84 games last season rendered him ineligible for the honor.

Zach Neto leads the Angels in many hitting categories. While his defense has regressed, he is under the tutelage of Ron Washington. Neto is breaking out in a major way, and he is deserving of more flowers from MLB fans.