Ezequiel Tovar Confirms He Will Play for Venezuela in 2026 World Baseball Classic If Invited by Federation
Matt Tallarini - World Baseball Network | Apr 4th, 2025 10:37pm EDT
Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar told Venezuelan media platform EL Lineup at George Steinbrenner Field on the road during the first series of the 2025 Major League Baseball season against the Tampa Bay Rays that he hopes to play for Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic — if invited by the Federación Venezolana de Béisbol.
Tovar made his comments in a video interview on Instagram with El Lineup that surfaced on April 3.
Rockies Drop Home Opener in Extra Innings
The Rockies lost 6-3 in 11 innings in their home opener against the Athletics on April 4 in snowy conditions at Coors Field.
Béisbol en la nieve.
(vía rockies) pic.twitter.com/h7ZU4HZCsy
— ESPN Béisbol
Colorado will play the second game of their three-game home series against Oakland on April 5 at 8:10 p.m. EDT.
The Rockies are now 1-6 to start the 2025 season, while the Athletics improved to 3-5.
Tovar Among Venezuelan Stars Eyeing 2026 WBC
Aracelis León is the president of the Federación Venezolana de Béisbol. The federation will evaluate its roster in the coming months, with top Venezuelan players expected to be considered, including Wilson Contreras, William Contreras, Ronald Acuña Jr., Anthony Santander, José Altuve, Andrés Giménez, Gleyber Torres, Jackson Chourio, Eugenio Suárez, David Peralta, Orlando Arcia, Luis Arráez, Maikel Garcia, Miguel Rojas, Francisco Álvarez, Oswaldo Cabrera, Wilyer Abreu, Gabriel Moreno — and Tovar.
Venezuela is ranked No. 3 in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
Contract Extension and Career Overview
Tovar has been with the Rockies organization since signing as an international free agent on August 1, 2017, receiving an $800,000 signing bonus.
He signed a seven-year, $63.5 million contract extension with Colorado on March 26, 2024, which includes a club option for the 2031 season.
Spring Performance and 2025 Start
In spring training, Tovar played in 21 games with 62 plate appearances and hit .333, collecting 18 hits, five doubles, two home runs, five RBI, seven walks, and 15 strikeouts.
Through his first six games of the 2025 regular season, he’s batting .125 with three hits in 24 plate appearances, including one double, one RBI, and four strikeouts.
2024 Gold Glove Season and Offensive Numbers
Last season, the 23-year-old shortstop from Maracay, Venezuela won his first Gold Glove Award. He led all Major League players with 435 assists and turned 113 double plays, playing in 157 games with 156 starts. He logged 1,375.2 innings at shortstop, fielded 676 chances with 233 putouts, committed eight errors, and posted a .988 fielding percentage.
Offensively in 2024, Tovar had a 3.8 WAR and hit .269 across 695 plate appearances. He tallied 176 hits, four triples, 26 home runs, 78 RBI, 45 doubles, six stolen bases, 23 walks, 200 strikeouts, and a .763 OPS. He led the majors in both at-bats (655) and doubles (45).
Path to the Majors
In 2023, Tovar was the Rockies’ top-ranked prospect and ranked No. 25 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list. He hit .253/.287/.408 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 581 at-bats. He committed seven errors and maintained a .988 fielding percentage over 153 games, saving 13 runs at shortstop.
Tovar began the 2022 season with Double-A Hartford, batting .318/.386/.546 with 15 home runs, 47 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 66 games. After a brief stint at Triple-A Albuquerque in September 2022, he made his MLB debut on Sept. 23 at home against the San Diego Padres. He finished the 2022 season playing in nine MLB games, hitting .212 with seven hits, one home run, and two RBI.
Career Stats Through 2025
Across four MLB seasons, Tovar has appeared in 325 games with a career batting average of .258. He has 333 hits, 84 doubles, eight triples, 42 home runs, 154 RBI, 17 stolen bases, 50 walks, 379 strikeouts, and a .720 OPS in 1,369 plate appearances.
WBC Fit and Managerial Evaluation
Tovar would be making his first appearance in the World Baseball Classic if selected. Venezuela’s manager, Omar López, will need to evaluate Tovar’s fit on the roster and determine where he may contribute defensively. Grapefruit League exhibition games in 2026 could also factor into that evaluation process.
2026 World Baseball Classic Information
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will begin with pool play across four locations. Colombia, Chinese Taipei, Brazil and Nicaragua have already qualified for the 2026 event and have not yet been assigned to a pool.
The United States, Italy, Mexico, Great Britain and a Qualifier nation will compete at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas from March 6-11 in Pool B.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and a Qualifier nation will compete in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium from March 6-11 in Pool A.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and a Qualifier nation will compete at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 in Pool C.
Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, and a Qualifier nation will compete at loanDepot Park in Miami in Pool D from March 6-11.
The Quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC will feature the Pool A runner-up facing the Pool B winner on March 13, while the Pool B runner-up will face the Pool A winner on March 14 at Daikin Park.
The other side of the Quarterfinals will be on March 13 with the Pool C runner-up playing the Pool D winner and the Pool D runner-up will play the Pool C winner on March 14 at loanDepot Park.
The 2026 WBC semifinals will be held on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park, with the championship game taking place on March 17.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
