"They liked it" - Angels star Zach Neto reveals club liked his exaggerated leg kick before MLB call-up

Zach Neto's batting stance and swing feature a high leg kick, something not many players utilize. Most are much more understated and some players don't use one. The bigger they are, the more things can go wrong with timing and weight balance. Despite that, Neto thrives with his.

This may be because the Los Angeles Angels allowed him to keep it. Many teams will try to fix prospects' swings by removing those exaggerated tendencies. A high-leg kick is usually one of them.

Mark DeRosa asked if teams wanted him to ditch the leg kick and go for a more streamlined batting stance.

"They actually were the only team to tell me they liked it," Neto replied. "Whatever made me feel comfortable, that's what they were going to let me do. Everyone has their own style, their own unique set up."

He also revealed that he'd been using the stance and swing since his freshman year of high school. Neto also revealed that he had gone with it to try and generate more power. As a smaller player, power didn't come naturally to him.

Zach Neto's unique swing is proving to be successful

Zach Neto was picked just two years ago in the 2022 MLB Draft. Already, he's at the MLB level. That alone suggests a lot of promise, as it can be difficult even for college players to make the jump to the majors that quickly.

Neto is a mainstay in the current Angels lineup. While the team is not doing very well, Neto is. The infielder proves he can be a building block for the future whenever the Angels try to turn things around.

This year, his offense has been good. The leg kick has not proven to be detrimental at all. He has posted a 112 wRC+, which means he's been 12% better than the average hitter. His 2.2 fWAR is among the team leaders.

He also has a .256/.320/.439 slash line for an above-average .759 OPS. The Angels took a risk by letting Neto keep the high leg kick, as players who do that can step in the bucket and get their timing off. It has paid off as he appears to be an MLB hitter who could be here to stay.