Colorado Rockies will promote top prospect to the show on Thursday
Sep 21, 2022, 5:49 PM
The Colorado Rockies are ending their season with fireworks, not the ones they’ll be shooting off at Coors Field on Friday night.
Multiple media members report that the Rockies are promoting Ezequiel Tovar to the major leagues. The 21-year-old shortstop is the second-best Colorado prospect, according to MLB.com, coming behind Zac Veen. Others rate Tovar above Veen; nonetheless, it’s a big move for the Rockies at season’s end.
If Tovar debuts in the next few days, the six-foot-flat, 162-pound 21-year-old will be the youngest position player in Rockies history.
Tovar was just promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque last Thursday, getting five games in with the Isotopes.
Tovar began the season at Double-A Hartford after winning the club’s Spring Training MVP award, where he slashed .318/.386/.546 over 295 plate appearances in 66 games, adding 13 homers and 47 RBI. Tovar injured his leg in June, holding his progress back.
The regular shortstop can also play second base and is currently the 28th best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com.
MLB.com gives him the following grades on the common 20-80 scouting scale: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 70 | Overall: 55
There is absolutely no question that Tovar could play defensively in the big leagues right now. He’s the best defender in the system, showing an ease of operation in his actions at the premium position. He makes the routine and the flashy plays consistently, with outstanding actions, footwork and a plus arm he saves for only when he needs it. He’s shown he can seamlessly move over to second base, if needed, but he has Gold Glove potential at short.
Tovar signed with the Rockies as an amateur free agent in 2017 and has bounced back well from being stuck in Arizona for over a year during the pandemic.
He just turned 21 and continues to bulk up; with incumbent shortstop Jose Iglesias being a free agent this winter, Tovar could be the long-term future of the club and the team’s starting shortstop next season.
Tovar will get about a dozen games with the big club before this season ends. A corresponding roster move has yet to be announced, but Brendan Rodgers has missed two straight games with a hamstring injury, and Kris Bryant could be moved to the 60-Day Injured List. This would clear a spot on the active and 40-man rosters.
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