TEMPE, Ariz. — Zach Neto isn’t simply getting the proverbial cup of coffee in Angels spring training.
Neto, who was in college a year ago, was in the starting lineup at shortstop for the Angels’ split-squad game against the Texas Rangers on Sunday, his seventh big-league game this spring.
“He’s impressed me, for sure,” manager Phil Nevin said. “We’ve gotten to see a lot of him. I want to see even more. He’s gonna get some opportunities.”
Neto, 22, was the Angels’ first-round draft pick last July. The Angels had him play a week at Class-A before moving him to Double-A. Giving him an invitation to major-league camp is further evidence they are aggressively testing him.
Nevin, who was in big-league camp the spring after he was the No. 1 overall pick, said he appreciates how Neto has handled the exposure.
“He carries himself very well,” Nevin said. “That’s hard to do as a first-round pick coming right into big-league camp. I know very well how that goes, and he’s handled himself very well. Very impressive.”
As Neto prepared to head across the Valley for his first start in a big-league exhibition, he said the whole experience has been positive.
“I’ve always dreamed of being here,” Neto said. “I’ve been here with a bunch of big leaguers and a bunch of guys I played with coming up in pro ball. It’s been an awesome experience just getting knowledge from the older guys. Not many get to do this. It’s definitely an honor being here.”
Neto said Andrew Velazquez and David Fletcher have been particularly helpful to him so far, “guiding me in the right direction, showing me how to be relaxed and to be myself.”
Neto was hitless in his first seven at-bats, with two walks, going into Sunday’s game.
“I feel pretty good,” Neto said. “It’s not the start that I wanted to have, but I know I’m going in the right direction. The swings are there. I’m having some pretty good at-bats, playing pretty good defensively….
Read the full article here
