With just three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Zach Neto has shed the “prospect” label and established himself as a key player for the Los Angeles Angels. The 24-year-old shortstop led his team in stolen bases with 26 this past season. He also finished the 2025 season with 56 extra-base hits, 82 runs scored, and a .319 on-base percentage (OBP).
For generations, baseball and hard work have been the hallmarks of Zach Neto’s family. His paternal grandfather, Joaquín Sr., arrived in New York from Havana at just 16 years old. He was one of nine siblings. His goal was to work tirelessly until he could bring his entire family out of Cuba. His two maternal grandparents were also from Havana. His parents, Joaquín Jr. and Maggie, were born in the United States.
High school brought them together in the mid-1980s, and they married in 1991, when Joaquín Jr. returned from the Army. They have three children. Zach’s older brother played college baseball, and his younger sister played college softball. Baseball has always been big with the Netos, the family would discuss, with a touch of nostalgia, the great Cuban baseball players and teams at home.
Today, it’s easy to check the Spotrac website and see that Zach Neto has earned around six million dollars during his time in MLB. However, how did one of Miami’s most underrated talents reach the highest level of baseball? Could the Gurriel brothers be the key to Zach representing Cuba in a World Baseball Classic?
Below are some excerpts Joaquín Neto’s interview with 14 y medio’s Andy Lans and the answer to these questions:
The Angels selected Zach in the first round of the 2022 draft, the thirteenth overall pick. Did you expect another franchise would draft Zach?
We received an invitation from MLB to be in Los Angeles on draft day. We knew he would be selected in the first round, but not by whom. When they picked him, it was incredibly exciting because it fulfilled his dream. The Miami Marlins had called him to let him know they were interested. That year they were picking sixth, but they took someone else. Zach was a little disappointed because he wanted to play in Miami, close to his family and friends. To be honest, he was never seen as a great player here. From a young age, he was one of the shortest kids. Nobody believed he would get this far. He batted over .450 in his first two years of high school and .320 in his senior year. No Florida university showed any interest in him. He used that as motivation.
Did you ever imagine Zach would play in the Major Leagues?
My wife and I worked a lot with him. We were at every practice and every game. We never took away his dream of playing in the Major Leagues. We wanted him to keep playing so he could get a college scholarship, graduate, and not have to work as hard as we did. But Zach stayed focused, and that’s why he’s at this level today.
I imagine that when Zach found out he was being called up to MLB in 2023, he immediately called his parents. How did they react to that news?
My wife and I always stayed up late watching his games. He was playing Double-A on a Friday night. He had a fantastic game with two home runs, seven RBIs, and they pulled him around the sixth inning. Maggie wondered if something had happened to Zach. I figured that since they were winning 15-2, they were just resting him. At 11:00 p.m., he called me. I was getting ready for bed because I had to work early. I’m a mail carrier in Miami. Zach said, “Dad, I’m going to Boston tomorrow to play in the major leagues.” I replied, “Stop talking nonsense, because I have to work tomorrow and I’m not in the mood to play,” and I hung up. He called his mother later. She put the manager on, and he confirmed that he was taken out of the game because he was called up to MLB and they were sending him to Boston that night. That’s when we started crying. We didn’t think they’d call him up so fast. We made plans and managed to get to Fenway Park the next day at 4:00 in the afternoon to see his debut.
So, is Zach interested in going to the Classic with Cuba?
He’s almost certain the U.S. team won’t recruit him because he’s still so young. When his teammate Yoán Moncada and the Gurriel brothers have asked him about his availability, Zach has said he’d go without hesitation. When they brought it up, he called me, as excited as a five-year-old in a candy store. Seeing Zach in a Cuban jersey would be a dream come true for the family. His great-grandfather has been gone for a long time, but because of his love for Cuban baseball, I know he’d be very happy up there in heaven. My dad, who’s still alive, would be happy too.