This Rockies infielder is set to bounce back in a big way in 2026

During his age-23 campaign, Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar emerged as one of the league's most complete players, excelling at the plate and in the field alike.

He played 157 games in 2024 and earned his first career Gold Glove, backing it up with a 15 OAA and a 16 fielding run value.

He was equally impressive at the plate, hitting .269/.295/.469 with a league-leading 45 doubles, 26 home runs, and 75 extra-base hits.

However, an injury-riddled 2025 campaign brought him back down to earth, limiting the shortstop to just 95 games after he suffered a hip injury in the first month of the season, followed by an oblique strain in June.

The power outage was predictable given his injuries, but Tovar still found ways to contribute — bumping his walk rate to 5.4% and cutting his strikeout rate by 3.7%.

Tovar is known for attacking early in counts, especially the first pitch, but last season he seemed to pull back a bit, which was likely a byproduct of a hitter still searching for his swing.

His defense took a significant hit as well, with his DRS dropping to -2 and his OAA falling to 3.

The real question is whether he sticks with his patient approach at the plate or falls back into the aggressive habits he had before the injury.

Rockies fans won't have to wait long to see Tovar in back in competitive action. He'll represent Venezuela at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, running March 5–17.

Colorado opens their Spring Training schedule this Friday afternoon against the Arizona Diamondbacks. We’ll be watching to see how many at-bats he gets before the WBC.

Venezuela gets their Pool D campaign underway on March 6, facing the Netherlands at 12:00 PM ET at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

Tovar showed us what he's capable of with All-Star production in 2024, only to have injuries pull the rug out in 2025. If he stays healthy, he's the Rockies' best bet for a true breakout year.