ANAHEIM — Since his promotion to the No. 2 hole in the lineup on Aug. 3, Angels shortstop Zach Neto has been performing at a much higher level.
Neto is hitting .394 in nine games since moving from the bottom third of the order to the second spot. He has produced three doubles, a triple and four home runs in that span while also walking five times, a lofty rate considering Neto walked just twice in 26 games in June.
“Ever since I got moved to the second hole, I feel like I get to see more at-bats, more pitches, which has helped me be able to see and recognize the pitches early,” Neto said. “I feel like that’s a good reason why I’ve been having a lot of success and just getting more comfortable there.” Neto’s batting average was .
264 entering the series opener against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, but his OPS had ballooned to .794, fifth-best among all major-league shortstops. Neto also has the fifth-best fielding percentage (.
979) among MLB shortstops while fielding the second-most chances (485). Not bad for a 23-year-old still in his first full season in the majors. “I see myself as, definitely, a top-five shortstop in this league,” Neto said.
“I don’t really pay attention to numbers, I just like to go out there and let my actions speak for themselves, but it’s pretty cool to hear and see that. The recognition is finally coming out.” Neto is just the second player in team history to produce at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases thro.