Ezequiel Tovar’s Potential to be Rockies’ First Half MVP

Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is having quite the experience at the World Baseball Classic.

Without Tovar's hitting and hustle, Team Venezuela would've had a much more difficult task to beat Japan. Tovar is putting up sensational numbers during the tournament. His consistency could be the start of something exciting coming to Coors Field this season.

Can Tovar Keep the Momentum Going Into the Season?

Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar — Venezuela shortstop Ezequiel Tovar catches a ground ball | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The 24-year-old continues to grow as a player. His ability to do whatever it takes to help a team win is what you want to see in a player. Tovar has been a stud throughout this tournament. He is one of those players who put on a show and are exciting to watch.

Tovar has gone 6-for-9 at the plate, including four runs, three doubles, and two stolen bases. He's slashing .667/.700/1.000 with a 1.700 OPS. It's impressive the way he's performing against a good pitcher like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was the World Series MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ezequiel Tovar in the WBC this year:

6-9 (.667)
4 Runs
3 Doubles
2 Stolen Bases

Put on a SHOW Tovi🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/f9bDRTsYxF
— DNVR Rockies (@DNVR_Rockies) March 15, 2026

Over his career, Tovar has dominated Yamamoto. Tovar has gone 8-for-11 with two home runs and two doubles in head-to-head meetings. Tovar picked up where he left off, going 6-for-7 against him in 2024. In 2025, they didn't face off because Tovar battled injuries.

They will see each other more often this season if both players can stay healthy, especially Tovar.

There's a reason the Rockies must set the tone by inserting Tovar in the leadoff spot, and there's a high likelihood that's going to happen. For the offense to take off and have an advantage over the other team, the leadoff man must be aggressive and get on base.

One of the things that we should expect from Tovar is his competitive fire and ability to run hard. He's giving us a glimpse of what he's going to do in the regular season. Tovar has the potential to be Colorado's MVP player in the first half. Not to say the whole season just yet, but let's cut it in half and say the first half. Momentum is on his side right now, so let's see if he can keep it going.

Tovar won't be back in spring training just yet because Venezuela will play Italy in the semifinals on Monday. The winner of tonight's game will meet the USA on Tuesday night for the finals. If Tovar can have a great performance Monday and Tuesday night and help Venezuela win the tournament, the Rockies should have a smile on their face because misery won't last long for the franchise.