Jul 11, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run in the first inning Arizona Diamondbacks at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Zach Neto Joins Angels Legends in Elite Company Amid Dominant Season

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto hit his 20th home run of the season in Friday's matchup against the Athletics, etching his name into Angels franchise history with some impressive company.

The home run gave Neto his second-straight season with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, joining Don Baylor, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani as the only Angels to accomplish the feat multiple times.

Zach Neto has become the fourth player in #Angels history to have multiple seasons with 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases.

The others to do so are: Don Baylor, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani https://t.co/ZDEHd6CLZS
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) August 16, 2025

All three of Baylor, Trout and Ohtani have won an MVP award.

Neto broke out during his sophomore season in 2024, playing nearly every game while crushing 23 homers and snagging 30 bags. He had a .761 OPS and posted 5.1 WAR over the course of the season, which led all Angels.

He has been even better in 2025, already well on pace to eclipsing the home run season-high he set last season with an even better slash line. He has an .808 OPS this season, and has an OPS+ well above league average at 122. He has accrued a 4.3 WAR so far this season, which — once again — is far and away the best on the team.

Neto made an adjustment ahead of the 2025 season, changing his swing path to have a steeper angle. This increased his launch angle by nearly four degrees, which has aided him in finding power. After sitting in the fifth percentile in launch angle sweet spot percentage with a mark of 29.0 in 2024, he has jumped into the top 20 percent across MLB with a mark of 38.5.

Ultimately, Neto's home run didn't make the difference in Friday's game, as a relentless A's offense put 10 runs past the Halos. They will look to strike back against the A's in their matchup on Saturday. The Angels will face rookie Luis Morales on the mound, who has allowed just one run through 4.2 innings pitched this season.

The Halos will have Tyler Anderson take the mound, who has struggled against the A's this season. He pitched 4.2 innings against the A's in Sacramento earlier this season, allowing five runs.

The Angels lost a game in the Wild Card after Friday's result, however are still just six games back from the New York Yankees with plenty of games to play. Saturday's game begins at 7:05 p.m. PT.