Ezequiel Tovar Is Ready to Turn the Page-and Turn Heads Again
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Ezequiel Tovar didn’t waste any time dwelling on a season that went off the rails-for both him and the Rockies. The moment the final out was recorded, he was already looking ahead.
“Right from the last game,” Tovar said, speaking through interpreter Edwin Perez. “You’ve got to turn the page.”
That’s easier said than done after a 43-119 season, the worst record in the Majors. But Tovar, now 24, is healthy again after battling through a left hip contusion and a left oblique strain that limited him to just 95 games. And if he can stay on the field, he’s got every intention of reminding the baseball world why he was once considered one of the sport’s rising stars.
Let’s not forget-Tovar wasn’t just a defensive wizard last season. He earned his first Gold Glove, led the National League with 45 doubles, and paced the Rockies with 26 home runs.
That’s serious production, especially from a position as demanding as shortstop. He looked like a breakout star in the making.
But when MLB Network recently dropped its list of the Top 10 Shortstops Right Now, Tovar’s name was nowhere to be found.
“I’m a fan of those guys that are really good,” Tovar said. “But for me, the main competition is with myself. There’s always room to be a better player.”
That mindset might be exactly what gets him back in the conversation. Tovar isn’t chasing headlines-he’s chasing growth.
And he’ll get a big stage to show it soon. On March 1, he’ll suit up for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, marking just the second time he’s represented his country-the first being when he was a 12-year-old playing in Puerto Rico.
Rockies teammate and fellow Venezuelan Antonio Senzatela has no doubt Tovar’s about to remind everyone what he can do.
“It’s OK,” Senzatela said with a smile. “He’s going to be good and fun to watch. He’s nice.”
The Rockies certainly still believe in him. Despite the sweeping changes both on the roster and in the front office, the plan remains to build around Tovar. He’s entering the third year of a seven-year, $63.5 million deal, and the team sees him as a cornerstone-on both sides of the ball.
“When ‘Tovie’ is in the lineup doing his thing, he energizes people,” said manager Warren Schaeffer.
Last season went sideways almost immediately. In just the third game of the year, Tovar suffered a hip contusion while making a sliding backhand play in Tampa.
The injury happened on the hard surface at George M. Steinbrenner Field-one that had taken a beating through a full Spring Training and didn’t get the maintenance it needed before the game.
It was a freak injury, but it set the tone for a frustrating year.
Later, a left oblique strain sidelined him for over a month. That’s not the kind of time you want to miss when you’re trying to establish yourself as one of the game’s elite. But Tovar took the offseason seriously, committing to a detailed workout and nutrition plan designed not just to get him back-but to keep him there.
He’s also taken a hard look at his swing. Even when things were going well, he struggled with high chase rates-something that can be a red flag for a young hitter. Tovar believes a more simplified approach at the plate could be the key.
“I over-complicated things by doing too much-too much movement,” he said. “You can do more by doing little. I was doing too much movement, so it’s just simplifying stuff.”
As for whether that contributed to the oblique injury?
“I don’t know for sure if trying to do too much in the batter’s box caused the oblique issue,” he said. “It could have been the thing, but we don’t know 100 percent. But keeping things simple in the batter’s box will help me.”
There’s no question the tools are there. Gold Glove defense, gap-to-gap power, a strong arm, and the kind of maturity you want in a franchise player. Now it’s about putting it all together over a full season.
Tovar’s not looking for recognition. But if he plays the way he’s capable of, it’s going to find him.