Neal James Cotts (born March 25, 1980 in Lebanon, Illinois) is a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

Cotts attended Illinois State University, and won first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors and was named to the ABCA All-Midwest Region team. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics 69th overall in the 2nd round of the 2001 draft, becoming the second highest player drafted in the history of Illinois State. Neal finished his collegiate career ranked fifth all-time in strikeouts with 263 in just three seasons with the Redbirds.

Cotts spent the 2002 season at Single-A Modesto of the California League, winning 12 games in 28 starts. Over the off-season, Cotts was traded to the Chicago White Sox in a six-player deal involving relief pitchers Billy Koch and Keith Foulke.