After a little less than a year in the Minor Leagues, the Los Angeles Angels promoted shortstop Zach Neto to the Majors. Los Angeles drafted Neto with the expectation that he could be the regular shortstop in the near future, and that time has arrived. Here’s a look at what Neto did in college and the Minors, and what Angels fans can expect from him.

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A Look at Neto

Campbell University has been a diamond in terms of producing pro talent in recent years. While the school may not be a member of a power NCAA conferences, the likes of former first-round pick Seth Johnson, Matthew Barefoot, and current Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins. Now, Zach Neto will join Mullins in the Majors.

Neto, who ranked #53 in Baseball America‘s Top 100 MLB Prospect List for 2023, was a career .403 hitter in college. The 22-year-old hit .405 with 12 home runs as a second-year player in 2021, then put up roughly similar numbers (.407, 15 HR, and 40 XBH) during his junior season. A year after the Angels drafted all pitchers, Los Angeles wasted no time to take a bat in 2022 when the Angels selected Neto with the 13th overall pick.

The Florida native hit .320 with four home runs and 13 extra base hits over 30 games with Rocket City (AA) late last year, and continued to mash in 2023. And after just 44 games in the Minor Leagues, Neto will now get a crack in the Majors. The 22-year-old will become the first player from the 2022 MLB Draft to suit up in the Majors.

As a corresponding move, the Angels demoted infielder David Fletcher down to Salt Lake (AAA). The 29-year-old’s numbers have dipped since his 2020 campaign, in which he batted .319 over 49 games and finished in the top 20 in the AL MVP voting. Through just eight games, Fletcher only had two hits for the Angels.

A Look at the Angels

The Angels have tended to not only favor college players in the MLB Draft recently, but also be aggressive with moving those players through the Minors. 2020 first-round pick Reid Detmers made his Major League debut in August 2021, a little over 13 months after being selected by the Angels. Right-hander Chase Silseth, meanwhile, made seven starts in the Majors last year after being drafted in the eleventh round back in 2021.

Neto has the tools to be an above-average hitter in the Majors. The young shortstop showed not just good pop in college and the Minors, but also the ability to drive the ball with ease. Those tools give him a good chance to be the long-term answer for the Angels at short.

The 22-year-old will get his chance to be the starting Angels shortstop right away, as ESPN reported that the plan is for Neto to get regular time at the position going forward. Thus far, the Angels have had Gio Urshela, Luis Rengifo, and the aforementioned Fletcher splitting time at the position. Rengifo has not done much at the plate thus far, while Urshela is a better fit as a utilityman that splits time at other positions.

With all of that considered, it’s not hard to understand why the Angles have opted to move one of its top prospects up the Majors after less than 50 games in the Minors.