When Zach Neto made his major league debut for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, he found himself sharing the clubhouse with two of baseball’s brightest stars, Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. Neto described this experience as both intimidating and inspiring, marking a significant milestone early in his career. As the 13th overall pick in the 2022 <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/baseball/mlb/”>MLB draft, he stepped onto the big league stage on April 15, 2023, becoming the first player from his draft class to reach that level.

Reflecting on his first spring training, Neto spoke to MLB insider Chris Rose about the overwhelming feeling of entering a locker room alongside Ohtani and Trout.

“It was pretty crazy,” Zach Neto said (Timestamp 3:46). “My first spring training, I was able to see both of them, you know. Trout’s locker was like right in front of mine, and then Shohei was right at the end of the locker room. And it’s just, seeing those guys walk into the locker room, it’s like, okay, is this actually real?”

While Neto understood they were teammates, the experience of being around such elite talent was thrilling. He shared how he managed to connect with them without feeling intrusive, emphasizing the importance of building relationships in the clubhouse.

“You know, you don’t want to be rude and, and, you know, disrupt their time or whatever. And it’s just being able to kind of break that ice and just get cool with them and, you know, just build the relationship, I think, is what is the most important part.”

Adjusting to the Major Leagues with Support from Angels’ Icons

Despite the Los Angeles Angels missing the playoffs in 2023, both Mike Trout and Zach Neto appeared in 82 games, providing young Neto with ample opportunity to gain crucial experience. Playing primarily as a shortstop, Neto contributed a 1.6 WAR, hitting nine home runs, stealing eight bases, and maintaining a .225 batting average over the season.

Throughout the year, Neto highlighted the encouragement he received from Trout and Ohtani, which helped him settle into his new environment more comfortably.

“You know, both of them have been pretty cool with me,” Zach Neto said on “Dugout Discussions” (Timestamp 4:23). “I’ve just been doing a great job of kind of, like, you know, respecting their time just like they do with mine, and just being able to be a good teammate and friend.”

Joining the Ranks of Angels’ Elite Players

Following his debut season alongside these superstars, Zach Neto has quickly emerged as one of the most promising shortstops in Major League Baseball. At just 24 years old, Neto recently marked a memorable achievement by joining Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout as the only players in Angels history to record multiple seasons with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

While Ohtani moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers via free agency after 2023, where he won his second American League MVP before capturing the National League MVP in 2024, Neto continues to build on the foundation laid during his time with the two legends. His growth signals a bright future for the Angels as he steps into a more prominent role within the team.