Zachary
Neto

2022 MLB Draft: A Miami prep, Neto is an athletic-framed middle infielder with a well-rounded toolset; average to better across the board. At the plate he showed a lot of pre-pitch movement accentuated by a high leg lift. However, Neto knows his rhythm and timing and repeats the leg lift, consistently getting his foot down in time to be on time. He makes an adjustment with two strikes, lessening the leg lift and utilizing a spread setup. With either approach he's consistently on time – the name of the hitting game – with a compact swing that has some lift through the zone. His strong hands generate good bat speed and the ball jumps off the bat with good carry, especially to the middle of the field and to his pull side. Defensively, Neto has the hands, feet and a plus arm to remain at shortstop in pro ball, but there is talk in the industry of a potential need to move to second base at the next level on account of his range. One of the top college hitters in this year's draft class, Neto produced a .407/.514/.769 slash this season with just 7.4% strikeout rate in 256 plate appearances. He has cemented himself as a top 25 overall pick.

The Campbell Camel is an athletic-framed middle infielder with a well-rounded toolset; average to better across the board. At the plate he showed a lot of pre-pitch movement accentuated by a high leg lift. However, Neto knows his rhythm and timing and repeats the leg lift, consistently getting his foot down in time to be on time. He makes an adjustment with two strikes, lessening the leg lift and utilizing a spread setup. With either approach he's consistently on time – the name of the hitting game – with a compact swing that has some lift through the zone. His strong hands generate good bat speed and the ball jumps off the bat with good carry, especially to the middle of the field and to his pull side. Defensively, Neto has the hands, feet and arm to remain at shortstop in pro ball, but there is talk in the industry of a potential need to move to second base at the next level on account of his range. The lack of adequate range or a need for transition to the keystone was not evident during the High Point series as Neto made play after play on the turf surface, including an instinctive 6-5 fielder's choice with the bases loaded, followed by the bare hand of a slow roller that ended with a bullet throw to nail the batter/runner at first base. As one of the better college hitters in this year's draft class, Neto has cemented himself as a top 35 overall pick.

One of the best all-around players in college baseball, Neto exploded onto the prospect scene as a second-year player in 2021, hitting .405/.488/.746 with 12 homers, 17 doubles, 58 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 16 tries. He followed it up with a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, where he cemented himself as a top-two-rounds talent for the 2022 draft. He's off to a solid start this spring even though he's now a known commodity who is getting pitched very carefully; through seven games, Neto is hitting .318/.500/.455 with eight walks against three strikeouts. A strong, compact and explosive athlete at 6-foot, 185 pounds, Neto put his plus speed to good use Friday against Campbell, blazing up the line in 3.72 seconds on a push bunt single, and later stealing second base easily after drawing a walk. He uses a big leg lift and generates plenty of bat speed from the right side, but he also stays on time well and has an innate feel for his barrel, allowing him to make consistent hard line-drive contact. He also shortens up with two strikes and doesn't give away at-bats. Defensively, Neto is a fluid defender with quick feet and sure hands, along with plenty of arm for the position (he also moonlights as a relief pitcher for the Camels, though he has yet to make a mound appearance this spring). He showed off his speed, instincts and aggressiveness Friday with a fantastic over-the-shoulder catch in the sixth inning, racing way out into no-man's land in left field and covering serious ground. Neto plays with energy and focus, and he is a joy to watch. His quality all-around tool set could even carry him into the first round in June, especially if he keeps putting up big numbers.

The 5-foot-11, 160 pound infielder showed good use of his lower half in his swing, driving balls deep in batting practice.  He has a quick swing that that finds the barrel consistently. With an open stance a big leg kick, he consistently stayed on time and used above average bat speed for his class while still finding the barrel. Expect him to be an impact hitter and projectable middle of the order guy. Defensively, he shows solid and projectable actions at short. He is calm and under control with good rhythm working through the ball. He also showed the arm strength to stay on the left side of the field topping out at 85 mph across the diamond. He is projectable and athletic with a lot of upside making him a high follow going forward.