Tovar raises his bonuses in the Rockies

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Over the weekend just ended, Ezequiel Tovar was seen chatting in the clubhouse with fellow Venezuelans Jhoulys Chacín and Elías Díaz as the Rockies prepared for a Cactus League game.

Tovar, 20, intends to consolidate his status as Colorado’s shortstop of the future and now, in his first Major League workouts, he has known how to seek advice and guidance from the veterans present. On the field of play, the young man from Maracay has not disappointed, exhibiting his well-known defense and a bat that has been a pleasant surprise—preseason games, even.

“At first, I arrived a little bit nervous,” Tovar said of his participation in his first workouts with the Rockies big team. “Later, I adapted to the environment with my teammates. So far in Spring Training, I have felt very comfortable and thank God, the results have come out”.

Newly promoted to No. 6 among Colorado’s top prospects on the MLB Pipeline list, Tovar made an immediate impact in the Cactus League this month, having nine hits—including three home runs and a double—in his first 15 at-bats. . Although he was reassigned to minor league camp over the weekend, the shortstop continued to shine in Sunday’s game between the Rockies and Reds, with a nice catch on defense and an RBI double at bat. He entered Monday with 11 hits in 20 at-bats (.550), those three homers, seven RBIs and two stolen bases. Everyone knows preseason numbers don’t carry as much weight in the long run, but that performance has caught the attention of the Rockies front office, who signed the shortstop in August 2017.

“He’s doing a great job,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of Tovar last week. “He is playing loose, with confidence. It’s good to see that. It’s a bigger stage, even if it’s Spring Training. And he is showing his face.”

“Confidence” has been a crucial theme for Tovar, whose explosion at bat in his first preseason appearances has helped him feel increasingly comfortable in the big league environment.

“Pretty much,” Tovar said about it. “At first, I was a bit nervous, first Spring Training, so many stars next to me. But I was adapting and I said, ‘Fuck him, if I can also do the job.’ One (grabs) more confidence, (grabs) the rhythm and I practically feel ready”.

For 2022, the Rockies signed Cuban veteran José Iglesias, one of the best defensive shortstops in the Majors. In fact, Tovar has used his time in big-team camp to get coaching from Iglesias on defense—already a strong point for the promising Venezuelan, as his rating of 70 (on the 20-to-20 scouting scale) indicates. 80) with the glove.

“He’s a good person, giving me advice, helping me,” Tovar said of Iglesias. “That helps me a lot, sharing with veterans and practicing with him.

“The small details were what I observed from him. He is always attentive to the little details. That was what he told us when he met with us, that the small details make the difference”.

Adding muscle for each season since being signed at age 16, Tovar hit .287/.322/475 (.796 OPS) with 30 doubles, 15 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 469 plate appearances in 2021 between Class- To Fresno and Class-A Alta Spokane in 2021. Then he didn’t fare as well in the Arizona Fall League (.161/.219/.287 in 25 games). But in 2022, he has picked up the swing at bat in the Cactus League, preparing to likely start Double-A Hartford next minor league season.

“It didn’t change me. I’ve stayed aggressive at all times and I think that’s the key,” said Tovar, who curiously grew up in Maracay very close to another Rockies member, outfielder Yonathan Daza, whom he barely knew after they were both signed as Colorado prospects. “I have never changed the way I play and I think that’s what has helped me.”

As for the regular season major leaguers, a realistic goal could be to move up in September of this year and aim to make an impact in spring training in 2023, with an eye toward a roster spot that season.

“I will try to control what I can control,” Tovar said when touching on the subject. “To do my job and let it be what God wants.”