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Zach Neto’s Impressive Stretch Earns Him Major Honor
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- Zach Neto’s Impressive Stretch Earns Him Major Honor
Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto earned his first AL Player of the Week award after a red-hot stretch from Aug 17-23.
Neto struggled massively following the All-Star break, posting just a 36 wRC+ from the beginning of the second half until Aug. 16. Last week, though, Neto batted .500 over the course of six games, hitting seven extra-base hits and driving in nine runs.
🚨 ZACH NETO IS YOUR AL PLAYER OF THE WEEK 🚨
In 6 games, Zach Neto batted .500, with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, and 9 RBI.
He led the Majors with 14 hits and tied for the lead in batting average and extra base hits. pic.twitter.com/ptDwnGNUQ6— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 24, 2026
His 14 hits led the majors, and he tied for the MLB lead in batting average and extra-base hits during that stretch. His 303 wRC+ trailed only Fernando Tatis and Nick Sogard during this stretch, and led the Angels by a wide margin.
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Neto has only won one Player of the Week award before, coming during the 2025 season—also in August. He hit four homers from Aug. 11-17, 2025, recording eight RBIs with a 1.254 OPS for his first award.
The shortstop has 22 homers this season, four fewer than his total last season in one fewer game, but matched his RBI total despite a minor downturn in his OPS. He has a .753 OPS on the season, which still ranks above league average.
Neto also has 18 steals on the season, and is on track to record his third consecutive 20/20 season.
Aug 23, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) celebrates his solo home run with teammates in the dugout against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
Why Did Zach Neto's Numbers Drop This Season?
While some of his numbers are nearly identical to his breakout 2025 season, such as his on-base percentage and RBI totals, the standout difference between this season and last comes with his swing and miss tendencies.
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Neto struck out 152 times last season, which is already a lot, but is on track to touch 200 strikeouts this season. He has 175 so far this year, tying himself for most in the American League alongside Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery.
Neto's strikeout and whiff rates both sit above 30% this season after ranking below that mark last season. His chase rate is also up 7% this season, leading to more strikeouts.
The shortstop is still a key part of the Angels' team, and if he can manage to get his strikeouts under control, he will play a key part in the Angels' future as they try to return to being a competitive team after 12 years out of the postseason.
The post Zach Neto's Impressive Stretch Earns Him Major Honor appeared first on LA Sports Report .
