Angels' Zach Neto Candidly Reveals His Biggest Rookie Mistake

In an interview with MLB Network on Tuesday, Angels shortstop Zach Neto was asked what advice he would give rookies who, like him, didn't spend much time in the minor leagues before their first major league game. (The Angels have collected a few of these in recent years.)

Neto candidly volunteered a mistake he made as a rookie, which he termed "a big problem."

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“Something I struggled with my first year as well: being able to differentiate offense from defense," Neto said. "I felt like I had a big problem with that.

"When I didn’t have success at the plate, taking it out on defense, and then most likely me making an error, costing us the game or a big inning," he said. "I feel like this year, especially being on the rehab side in spring training, being able to differentiate both sides, being able to leave my at-bats in the dugout and be the best defender I can or vice versa.”

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Neto, 24, is on pace for a career year at the plate with a .267/.320/.458 slash line.

After missing the Angels' first 18 games of the season, Neto is well on his way to a second consecutive 20-homer season to begin his career.

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Neto's defense has arguably been more impressive. His .979 fielding percentage represents a small but noticeable uptick compared to last season (.972).

Neto leads all major league shortstops in range factor per game, an advanced metric that he led all AL shortstops in a year ago. That's led directly to Neto participating in 69 doubles plays, which also leads MLB.

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Baseball Reference ranks Neto's defensive value behind only that of Taylor Walls among AL shortstops. Walls' .606 OPS disqualifies him from the ranks of the best all-around players at the position.

MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac, a three-time All-Star pitcher, called Neto the best defensive shortstop in the game of baseball "right now."

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"The internal clock that you have, to get rid of the ball when you have time, and you and Christian Moore have a chance to be one of the best, or if not the best, double play combination in baseball," Plesac said.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.