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Recent Projection Sees Rockies Infielder Return to High-End Form

The Colorado Rockies are in desperate need of some production in 2026, and Fangraphs believes one of their infielders will be the one to bring it.

Jeremy Trottier

Sep 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view of the first inning between the Los Angeles Angels against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Sep 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view of the first inning between the Los Angeles Angels against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Colorado Rockies are coming off one of the worst seasons in MLB history, and it is clear that a mix of injuries and just a lack of top-end talent stunted them during 2025.

Now, with a new front office coming in to take over, things will hopefully start trending in the right direction in 2026, and one of the biggest keys to that will be star players finding their stride at the same time.

One of the most notable players who will need to do so is shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who only ended up playing 95 games in 2025 due to injury, but now will be looking to return to 2024 form, where he won a Gold Glove award and received a few votes for MVP.

Despite the injury, Tovar still was relatively productive in the time he did play; it is just a matter of maintaining that success consistently throughout the next season to provide a spark on offense.

While there are plenty of issues with the roster all over, having him and Silver Slugger award winner Hunter Goodman on offense would at least be a positive start.

What Does Fangraphs Project as Tovar's Statistics for 2026?

Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar hits a home run, wearing a purple jersey and a black batting helmet.
Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Fangraphs has put out its pre-season projections for each player's metrics heading into the 2026 season, and according to its calculations, Tovar is expected to not only return to form but also slightly take a step up as well.

In 2026, they have him slashing .262/.304/.440 with 80 runs, 68 RBI, 21 home runs, 11 stolen bases, 23.6% strikeout rate, 5.1% walk rate and 2.6 fWAR.

Much of his success comes from their projections for him on defense, which are the best on the team, which makes sense given that he plays shortstop, a highly valuable position. According to their metrics, he will also play the most games on the team at 137, which, while not perfect, is a stark improvement over 95.

Strikeouts and walks have always been Tovar's most significant issue, as even in his impressive 2024 season, he had 200 strikeouts to only 23 walks.

This is something that drastically needs to improve if Tovar wants to take the next step into superstardom, and with the Rockies desperately needing a player like that, hopefully, he can manage to do so.

For now, though, high-end defense and productive offense are enormously valuable, and Tovar brings both when healthy and will likely continue to do so heading into 2026.

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Jeremy Trottier
JEREMY TROTTIER

Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.

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