Ezequiel Tovar is beginning to meet Colorado Rockies’ high rookie expectations

After a slow start to the 2023 season, Colorado Rockies’ rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is finally meeting his lofty expectations of being the organization’s top prospect to reach the Majors.

After hitting .240 with three homers and 22 RBI in the first two months of the season, Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies has raised those numbers to a respectable .260 batting average, with 10 home runs and 47 RBI.

His turnaround has been surprising as I had been skeptical of Tovar making an early impact for the Rockies as there were too many questions surrounding his play.

At 165 pounds, could his body hold up during the grueling 162-game MLB season?  The most games he had played in one season in the minors was 104.

At the young age of 21, was he mature enough to handle the pressures of being the organization’s prospect at the Major League level?

His defense was going to translate from the minors, but would he be able to continue hitting for average and provide some pop? With 60 games left to play, those questions have been answered.

As expected his defense has been solid having only committed five errors with .988 fielding percentage. He has played in 94 of the Rockies’ 102 games. His batting average has steadily climbed after a rough month of April and his long ball has slowly come around.

Now that he is starting to meet expectations, the next step for Tovar in the final two months is to make this team his own. The Rockies will likely be trading their most valuable trade pieces of Randall Grichuk and C.J. Cron in the coming days and their high-priced free agent, Kris Bryant, just landed on the IL once again. That leaves the Rockies with little star power in the lineup and Tovar needs to step up and take control.

Raising his average 15 points to .275 and hitting close to 20 homers and driving in 80-plus RBI would be a great slingshot into next season.

With the return of Brendan Rodgers from his season-long stint on the IL at second base, along with the emerging star in Tovar, the Rockies will have a bright future up the middle of the infield and at the top of the lineup for seasons to come.