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BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 12% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: The Los Angeles Angels surprised everyone this week by selecting the contract of their 2022 first-round draft pick Zach Neto.
Former starting shortstop David Fletcher was optioned in the move, giving Neto complete control of the shortstop position. The 22-year-old has only logged 44 games in the minors, slashing .322/.408/.529 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and 41 strikeouts in High-A and Double-A play.
Promoting a draftee to the majors after just a year is unorthodox, but it isn’t too uncommon -- especially for a player with college experience. In recent memory, Andrew Benintendi and Nico Hoerner were called up to the majors in the year after they were drafted. However, it took Benintendi and Hoerner 151 and 89 minor league games, respectively, to get to the majors.
Handing the reins to the shortstop position to a guy with less than 50 games of minor league experience is a move that carries serious risk. Through 2 games in the major leagues, it’s looking like the Angels may have made the wrong move. Neto has no hits, two strikeouts, and has already grounded into two double plays.
Taking away valuable developmental time in the minors from a young guy when you already had a starting shortstop is abject mismanagement. Despite that reality, Zach Neto is still worth rostering.
No matter how poorly he plays, Neto will be the Angels starting shortstop. And not only is he their everyday shortstop, but he is also their lead-off man. Everyday lead-off men are rare in fantasy baseball, and very few have the ceiling of Zach Neto.
The Miami native is an elite hitter. His trademark leg kick propelled him to multiple .400 batting average seasons at Campbell University. He also has solid power and speed, with three home runs and three stolen bases in his seven-game Double-A stint at the start of the 2023 season.
For the first time as a pro, Zach Neto enjoyed a 4-hit day ⚡️
The second-ranked @Angels prospect's slash line through four games with the @trashpandas: .500/.611/.786. pic.twitter.com/826hk5Zu4o
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 12, 2023
You will honestly have to bear through the pain of Neto consistently going 0-for-4 to reap the benefits. But it will all be worth it when he puts it all together at the major league level.
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